CLINICAL MATTERS When I returned to the Philippines as a Balik Scientist in 2009, little did I know I would be playing a major role in fighting HIV in our country. When I graduated from medical school at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine in 2001, I knew very little...
CLINICAL MATTERS A flurry of respiratory illnesses in the last few weeks triggered school closures anew. Thankfully, it wasn’t from a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. Neither was it from Nipah virus, which triggered some panic in Cagayan de Oro but was found to be fake news. While there were several...
CLINICAL MATTERS The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the immense value of vaccination. While many people continue to believe that vaccination is something that is only for children, the life-saving properties of vaccines are of benefit to people of all ages. Special populations like the...
CLINICAL MATTER Is it really over? One month after the lifting of the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines, many people continue to wear masks. Perhaps the reemergence of influenza and other viral respiratory infections has made people realize that masks are valuable...
CLINICAL MATTER Nothing causes an “outbreak” of a disease more than a celebrity claiming to have that condition. The most recent revelation from a supermodel that she had Lyme disease has resulted in a deluge of consults from patients in my clinic wondering whether they had the same problem....
CLINICAL MATTER “Na-lepto,” is not an uncommon reply when someone dies unexpectedly in a community. Colloquially known as “lepto,” leptospirosis is a disease that is typically associated with rainy days and floods. While most leptospirosis infections are mild, those who develop severe...
CLINICAL MATTER Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest diseases known to man. It has been documented in Egyptian mummies, and has been mentioned in texts from ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel. In the Philippines, tuberculosis continues to be a major health problem killing 70 Filipinos every single...
CLINICAL MATTER At long last, it is official. Covid-19 as a public health emergency in the Philippines is over. After more than three years of living in fear of the next surge in cases, the government has sounded the all-clear. This was not a surprising development since the World Health...
As the Covid-19 pandemic transitions into endemicity, it is important to remember the lessons of how a tiny microbe can wreak so much havoc. With nearly seven million confirmed deaths and perhaps more than double that in unconfirmed ones, SARS-CoV-2 has taken an immense and bloody toll on humanity....
CLINICAL MATTER As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, HIV is once again rearing its ugly head, infecting young Filipinos at an unprecedented rate. In the past decade, the Philippines has had one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of new local HIV...
CLINICAL MATTER During our family vacation to the US, I snuck in a bit of business. Since I was bringing my son to visit his birthplace in Cleveland, I informed my colleagues at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University, where I trained in Infectious Diseases, that we...
CLINICAL MATTER Following the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 3 that the emergency phase of the Covid-19 pandemic was over, most countries dropped remaining pandemic restrictions on travel. This has resulted in more people embarking on “revenge travel,” causing...
