Opinion

I’m getting a lot of questions about the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the virus causing COVID-19, and thought I’d summarize what we know so far and what we can do about it. While viruses and bacteria undergo mutations all the time, many of them do not affect how infectious the virus is or the course of illness. SARS-CoV-2, like other coronaviruses, is generally slow to mutate thanks to built-in error-correcting proteins that fix most mistakes in replication. It generally accumulates one or two mutations per month. However, the number of mutations in the important “spike protein” that plays a key role in infection and is the target for most COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the association with a rapid rise of cases in these locations, has raised concerns.In rec...

We have to learn how to see God everywhere. This, of course, will require some assiduous training and discipline, but we have our whole life to achieve it, and to be sure, whatever effort and sacrifice would be involved would be all worthwhile.We need to see God everywhere because that is the ideal condition for us to be in. We are all creatures of God. God as our creator will always be in his creatures because not only is he the giver of our existence but also the maintainer of it. He can never be absent from his creatures, otherwise the latter would simply disappear to nothing.Thus, we can say that God is actually everywhere. He is around us and also inside us, at our very core. Remember what Psalm 138 says: “Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your p...

A study released January 6 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that the risk of anaphylaxis - a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction - from the vaccine is extremely low. This is not your typical itching. Anaphylaxis symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and tongue, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Yes, this can happen but very rarely. Based on data from people who have received the first of the two recommended doses, only about 1 in every 90,000 people, on average, will experience this adverse reaction. For a better perspective on how are this is - in the United States, the odds of one dying from choking on food is around 1 in 2,696. Also in th...

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… for a child is born to us, upon his shoulder dominion rests.”The first reading speaks of a people subjected to a wretched condition, graphically described by Isaiah in the four images of darkness, hunger, slavery, and war.The scene suddenly changes when a child enters into the picture. Darkness turns into light; the time of harvest and rejoicing arrives; the rod of the taskmaster is smashed; and every blood-soaked boot and cloak is burned in the fire. All this happens because a child is given them, who is named… Prince of Peace.What an appropriate reading and context for our celebration of the feast of the Sto. Niño. We too are a people oppressed by darkness, poverty, bondage and violence, desperately seeking ligh...

A study released January 6 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that the risk of anaphylaxis - a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction - from the vaccine is extremely low. This is not your typical itching. Anaphylaxis symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and tongue, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Yes, this can happen but very rarely. Based on data from people who have received the first of the two recommended doses, only about 1 in every 90,000 people, on average, will experience this adverse reaction. For a better perspective on how are this is - in the United States, the odds of one dying from choking on food is around 1 in 2,696. Also in th...

Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord reminds us of our own baptism. Since most of us were baptized as infants, we generally take this sacrament for granted. This is unfortunate because our baptism is the most important thing that ever happened in our life.Whenever I teach the catechism on baptism to children (and adults, as well), I use the story of the Lord’s baptism. I start by questioning why Jesus asked to be baptized, when he has no sin. Even John, the Baptist, refused to give in to his request at first. Jesus wanted to be baptized in order to show us what baptism is and what it does. What happened to Jesus at his baptism also happened to us at ours. What happened in the River Jordan?Three things: heaven opened, the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove, and a voice w...

I know a few things about vaccines. For over 10 years now, I have been working on different vaccines for different diseases. I am a life-long student of vaccinology. Vaccinology is an extremely exciting field of microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases covering vaccine development as well as the use of vaccines and their effects on public health and animal health. I have been vaccinated with all the vaccines available except the vaccines for Ebola and COVID-19. Why not? Because it is not available for me in the country where I live at the moment. I have been getting my flu vaccine every year for the past 10 years now – that is why I know that the vaccines available are good for me; because I take them myself. If I am going to DR Congo or countries that had Ebola ...

Today, January 3, we celebrate the feast of Epiphany, which means “manifestation”. We celebrate God’s manifestation of himself, not only to Israel, the people of his covenant, but now to all peoples, “the Gentiles [who] are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (second reading)The Latin Church identifies Epiphany with the visit of the Magi to the Infant Jesus in Bethlehem. To these wise men from the East, Jesus manifested himself, not just as the newborn king of the Jews, but as the Savior of the World. In turn, the foreign visitors prostrated themselves in worship before the Child and offered their kingly gifts.The Eastern tradition, on the other hand, celebrates Epiphany with the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jo...

Ushering in the New Year went pfft (at least in my household) as I was in bed before the year ended and got awakened only by firecrackers in the neighborhood at midnight. It soon passed when it started drizzling and after video chatting with my sons to wish them well, back to bed I went, happy to drift off while watching Netflix.The morning after, I woke up watching the flood stories unfold in Talisay City all the way to Victorias City and group chats were afire as to who among our families and friends got affected.It was sad to start the year getting kicked out of your homes to run for safer grounds and seeing the evacuation process and the clean-up on the first day of the year was just the pits.We have this tradition to ensure our homes are spick and span, believing that...

Unfortunately, we are still hearing that this COVID pandemic will still be with us for months and even for years. Let’s hope and pray that this piece of information would be proven wrong as early as possible, and that those things that are needed to end it are discovered and given to us.But even if that disturbing news holds true, we should not allow it to sour and darken our vision about this new year that has just begun.If we have faith in God, we know that no matter how things go and develop in this new year, everything would just work out for the good.With God, we would know how to derive good even from the worst evil that can menace us this year.God is always in control, and if we are with him, we too can have a certain degree of dominion over whatever would happe...