Opinion

Another variant is being mentioned in discussions about the pandemic these days. It’s called Mu (pronounced as myoo, not moo) or B.1.621, and after being identified in Colombia in January 2021, it’s now found in 39 countries across the globe.Mu has several characteristics that make it “seem likely” (not confirmed) to infect human cells more efficiently than previous versions of the coronavirus that’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified this variant as a “variant of interest” — as opposed to rather a “variant of concern” — because experts are still observing it. There have been 11 noteworthy variants to date, which the WHO has named for the letters of the Greek alphabet. Mu is the 12th.Mu has eight mutations in its spike protein, many of which are also p...

The province of Negros Occidental is gifted with numerous river systems that are essential for agriculture, industrial, and domestic needs. These rivers emanate from various mountain peaks to gentle rolling slopes and large levels of plain land, which we usually refer to as watersheds.There are at least six major river systems in Negros Occidental and these are the Danao, Himoga-an, and Malogo rivers in the northern part of the province, and in the south the Bago, Binalgaban, and Ilog rivers. However, there are still numerous tributaries that contribute to the flow of water in these major rivers.While comprehensive resource valuations of these rivers are still needed, their valuable socio-economic benefits could not be understated to the overall economy of Negros Occidental. It is,...

Today’s reading indicates a turning point in Mark’s gospel. For some time now, the disciples have been faithfully following Jesus as an extraordinary preacher and a powerful healer. Although they do not yet know him fully, they have an inkling that he must be more than just a great prophet. At the calming of the storm in the lake, they are awestruck and ask each other, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”When Jesus asks his disciples at Caesarea Philippi who they say he is (after hearing what others say of him), Peter replies in their name, “You are the Christ (Messiah).” This is the moment of truth for the disciples, a moment of clarification about their hesitant guesses, and a moment of confirmation of their long suspicion that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. With Jesu...

The importance of Negros Occidental's coastal wetlands is gaining a further boost with the results of the recent expedition and waterbird counts in Cadiz City in the northern part of the province. The survey findings indicate that the wetlands in Cadiz may qualify for recognition as another Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in Negros Occidental.The site is specifically located along the coastal intertidal flats stretching from Talaban River to the estuaries of Sicaba River, and extending to the most part of the shoreline in Barangay Daga to Barangay Cadis Viejo in Cadiz City.The Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area, spanning from Bago City to the municipality of Ilog, was the first Ramsar Site of the province. Lisa Paguntalan, Executiv...

The rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib [pronounced BAR-i-SIGH-ti-nib] was shown to reduce mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, according to a randomized, controlled trial published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Baricitinib, an inhibitor of (Janus kinase, JAK) JAK1 and JAK2, has been appraised in artificial intelligence early on in the pandemic in February 2020 and mechanistic laboratory studies and human clinical trials, with multiple mechanisms of action identified, including anticytokine effects and inhibition of host cell viral propagation.  Potential side-effects of the drug, such as secondary infections and venous thrombosis, are related to changes in the inflammatory and coagulation cascades. However, these side-effects have been...

The recent statement of Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino shook me out of my depression stupor and fired me up to write again after over two months.My brother’s untimely demise took all of us by surprise and since his passing, I was not able to write a column as everything I read was about COVID-19. It was depressing as Nonoy contracted the virus just before he passed away and which I felt made his condition spiral downward so fast.So when I read Al Victor’s claim that he is in a “state of depression” for getting ousted from Mayor Bing Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso, I nearly fell off my chair and had a laughing fit. That really made my day!Kidding aside, I also wanted to write again especially since Digicast Negros withstood the odds and turned one-year old last Saturday (Sept. 4...

While Jesus performs many of his miracles with a simple word or touch, in today’s gospel, Jesus heals the man with a speech impediment in a most graphic and dramatic way. Sensitive to the man’s condition, Jesus pulls him away from the crowd in order to spare him from embarrassment and humiliation. Then he puts his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touches his tongue.The gesture poignantly shows how Jesus identifies physically with the man’s infirmity to awaken faith in him. Looking up to heaven, he groans and utters the word, “Ephphatha,” which finally opens the man’s ears and loosens his tongue.Pope Benedict XVI gives an insightful comment that the word, “ephphatha - be opened”, sums up Christ’s whole message and all his work. The context of the event confirms the idea. No...

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Denmark has recorded 344,088 cases of COVID with 2,580 deaths. In contrast, we have 1,976,202 cases and 33,330 deaths and counting. Denmark, of course, has a population of only 5,815,792 while we have a population of 111,265,058. The Danish government announced last week that the country will no longer consider COVID-19 as “a socially critical disease”. “The epidemic is under control. We have record high vaccination rates,” said Health Minister Magnus Heunicke in a statement last Friday. Starting September 10, they will drop some of the special rules and restrictions that have been introduced in the fight against COVID-19.In July this year, the country introduced a digital coronavirus passport that had to be show...

Our readings this Sunday are about the Law or the Torah. Literally, the Torah means law, guidance or directive, and pertains to God’s revealed teaching for humankind. In its restricted sense, it refers to the first five books of the Old Testament (Pentateuch) which are traditionally ascribed to Moses, the recipient of God’s revelation on Mt. Sinai.The Torah is the source of Israel’s national pride. The Israelites are aware that they are just a small nation and cannot boast of great political power, like Rome, or philosophical and artistic brilliance, like Greece. Nevertheless, they see themselves standing above all other nations. “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and d...

COVID-19 transmission among households was three times more likely if the household had a high living density, according to a study in Clinical Infectious Diseases. This means more crowded households are expected to have higher transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Higher living density in this study is defined as having more than three household members but fewer than six rooms.The researchers looked at 100 COVID-19 index patients, all adults, and household contacts of all ages from April to October 2020 in North Carolina. Participants were enrolled in the study a median of 6 days after the index patient's symptom onset or diagnosis. On days 7, 14, and 21 from symptom onset, the household submitted nasal swabs, and on day 28, they underwent a seroconversio...