Opinion

Yes. Wearing a cloth mask over a surgical one can significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission. Even if you double mask, do not let your guard down. Wear them safely and dispose of them properly. On a recent appearance on the “Today” show, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser on COVID-19 for US President Joe Biden said that double masking “just makes common sense” and is “likely” to provide more protection against the transmission of COVID-19. So is double masking really a good idea? When and how should you go about doing it?In the middle of 2020, some experts have already espoused the idea. In fact, I have been double masking since December last year. In theory, double masking helps control the spread of COVID-19 and now, there's evidence. According to a recent stu...

An administration that is already facing so much criticisms from the general public must be wary of the people they bring into their fold if not properly vetted, because chances are, these people may just further widen the crack that is already there.The last election was almost a landslide for the slate of Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia. Their only irritant is Councilor Jun Gamboa who, despite being the lone opposition, has done a good job in ensuring that his voice gets heard over the din of overwhelming ayes for whatever the chief wants passed.But, unfortunately, that seeming unity has been seeing cracks lately and there are talks of obvious rifts among the officials.Some have been their own doing in their attempt to climb higher and endear themselves to the powers that b...

Every year, the gospel reading on the First Sunday of Lent is about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Allow me just to share a few random thoughts on temptation.Temptation is part of life. It is a given. It is not meant to pull us down; on the contrary, it is meant to propel us higher. St. Augustine once said, “Someone who is not tempted is not tested; someone who is not tested cannot progress.”This is exactly how our educational system works. Before the students move to the next level or grade, they undergo an examination or a series of tests. The same is true in work application, career pursuit, even priestly formation.In last month’s CBCP plenary assembly, the bishops discussed the need to revise the English version of the Our Father. No less than Pope Francis hims...

Giving blood thinners to COVID-19 patients soon after they're hospitalized could reduce their risk of dying.That's the conclusion of a new large observational study published in BMJ by researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. They looked at the electronic health records of 4,297 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 1 to July 31, 2020.Because coronavirus-related blood clots that develop in major arteries and veins can lead to death, the researchers aimed to see if anticoagulants, which have antiviral, and possibly anti-inflammatory, effects, could prevent coagulati...

“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, who, according to an article, despise politicians. And though he may, or may not have said it, the quote has become popular and so apt in today’s breed of politicians that we have in our country.Although it's eight months away till we declare an open season for next year’s election, the rumor mill is already in a frenzy, both at the national and local level.I got a chance to sit down or get a call from several politicians, wannabees, advisers, king-makers, political pacifiers since late last year and some I’ve taken seriously. Others made me smile but so far, none the serious.The most incredulous statement from some friends is eyeing Senator Manny Pacq...

For the past Sundays, we have seen Jesus healing all kinds of diseases.Today, a leper approaches him and asks to be cured. Leprosy is considered among the most serious and dreaded illnesses then. It disfigures the body and causes it to disintegrate, reducing the victim into a veritable “walking dead.”More than the physical suffering, it is the psychological pain that devastates the leper as he grapples with feelings of shame, bitterness, anger and loss of self-worth. Because the disease is highly contagious, he is banned from the community and is forced to live in isolation as a social outcast.Worse still, he is barred from participating in religious worship since he is considered ritually impure. Finally, there is a common belief is that leprosy is a punishment and curse from...

A small study in Brazil showed that the drug colchicine improved hospital stays and the need for oxygen in COVID-19 patients.What is colchicine? It is most commonly used to prevent attacks of gout. Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood. When uric acid levels in the blood are too high, the uric acid may form hard crystals in your joints. Colchicine works by decreasing swelling and lessening the buildup of uric acid crystals. Colchicine also prevents white blood cells from travelling into these areas and therefore helps to reduce pain and tenderness. Colchicine can also be used to treat acute attacks when nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen or ibuprofen cannot be used for safety reasons or have been ineffective.A small randomized, ...

I was very disturbed when I first saw the news showing the viral video of how the Silay City police force made violators of their face masks ordinance do the shame parade.Equally disturbing was Silay Mayor Mark Golez defending his police force, saying it was part of disciplinary action that they have been doing for months to teach a lesson to those who violate the mandatory use of face masks and other minimum health protocols covered by a local ordinance.I was not shocked to see over two dozen residents violating the face mask law because if you go around Bacolod, you can see people without masks in just about every corner and in every tiangge and sometimes within plain sight of enforcers.That is not to say that we allow these violators scot-free, but is there really anyth...

Our gospel reading is the continuation of last Sunday’s narrative wherein Jesus starts his Sabbath day by preaching in the synagogue and driving out an unclean spirit from an afflicted man. In today’s gospel, Jesus proceeds to the house of Peter where he finds Peter’s mother-in-law sick with fever and heals her. By sundown, the whole town of Capernaum gathers at Peter’s door to bring their sick and those possessed by demons.Jesus heals them too. Early the next morning, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray. After finding him, the disciples tell Jesus that more people are seeking him. He replies by saying that he must go and preach also to the other villages.In the gospel of Mark, we see this pattern of activities recurring as Jesus does ministry. Today’s gospel gives us a gli...

That's a question we can ask ourselves as we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in our country. After 500 years, we have reason to believe that we have somehow “arrived” at a significant level of the Christian life.The drama involved in that period must have taught us precious lessons, must have raised us to a certain level of Christian maturity, if we can call it that.Now, are we ready to spread and share our Christianity with other people, not only within our country but also in others? Let’s remember that if we truly have imbibed the Christian spirit, we would surely be given that same mandate Christ gave to his apostles before he ascended to heaven to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16,15)As appropriately articulated in the motto...