WE’VE just had another long weekend. Not that I’m complaining. As usual, we’ve accumulated some interesting random thoughts. Of course they were never meant to convince, rather to make you think. And if we agree or not on them, that’s just fine with me.
So without further ado here they are…
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Let’s start with the local flavor. It seems that Councilor Candice Tupas has declined the pickup truck offered by “I Am Iloilo City” mayor Geronimo; of course she has to announce it on social media, particularly on Facebook. And that looks rather self-serving as there was really no need for melodramatics unless one is after some brownie points.
And then this came up – Mayor Geronimo clarified on Thursday, April 8, that the pickups were never intended for the personal use of the councilors but for their office use. “These are standard pick-up, 4×2 without leather seats. These are given to their offices and not to them,” the mayor said.
The “pa-cute and humble effect” is just that – effect. And it seems to have backfired.
Since Councilor Candice Tupas does not want her office to have an official vehicle to be used by herself and her staff in the performance of their “legislative” functions, I suppose she will be providing it herself out of her own personal resources.
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So the latest is the use of the drug Ivermectin as treatment for those infected with the virus COVID-19, which seems kind of funny as most of us who have dogs have always used it as treatment for fleas and other parasites infecting our dogs, and it works as fleas just drop off dead. Likewise for worms and other parasites. The thing is, it very strong and might have fatal effects on humans as it has never been intended for human use.
It seems President Duterte and the IATF have not reported the plans to combat the COVID-19 pandemic to a certain Anne Curtis; this is the height of insubordination. If found true, then it must not be in any shape or form tolerated. Heads must roll. The country cannot afford to offend this Anne Curtis.
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While we’re on the subject, every time these so-called actors and actresses speak, particularly on COVID-19 matters or the “West Philippine Sea”, take note that these people are entertainers and they’re paid to entertain. Their job description is to pretend they’re someone else. There was a time that these “entertainers” were called court jesters.
Incidentally, claiming the “West Philippine Sea” or calling it that is a misnomer as it’s not included in all our official maps. There’s no law yet to support that, according to the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority or NAMRIA. It’s akin to claiming a piece of land as yours without having a title to it. Internationally it is still referred to as the South China Sea.
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And we segue to something dreary but certainly an eye opener. Excerpts from an article on www.gavi.org/vaccineswork:
Five key reasons that pandemics are becoming more likely
1. GLOBAL TRAVEL
People in many countries around the world are almost as used to hopping on an international flight as they are catching a bus or a train to another city. Air travel makes it possible for someone to travel halfway across the globe in less time than it takes for many diseases to incubate, making it extremely difficult to prevent their spread. Without this extraordinary global mobility, the new coronavirus may have stayed in China and neighboring countries, or at least not spread so quickly.
2. URBANISATION
The world is transitioning to being more urban and most of this growth will happen in Asia and Africa. Many of the cities with growing numbers of people are already struggling with infrastructure, housing, sanitation, transport and health care facilities. In many cases this means an increasing number of people living in overcrowded and unhygienic environments in which infectious diseases can thrive, without adequate health systems that can deal with these threats.
3. CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change affects every aspect of human existence, from access to water and food to severe weather events and extremes of heat and cold. It can also affect the spread of disease in a number of ways, such as by altering the natural range of disease carrying insects, like mosquitoes.
An increasing risk of flooding, which can be brought about by more frequent extreme weather events, also means that outbreaks of waterborne diseases, like cholera and other diarrheal diseases are also much more likely.
4. INCREASED HUMAN-ANIMAL CONTACT
The way in which people and animals come into contact today is significantly increasing the risk of outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. When pathogens jump the species barrier, from animals to humans, their ability to spread and the severity of the disease they cause is a potentially lethal unknown.
Many recent disease epidemics have originated in this way, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is suspected to have originated in bats, just as recent Ebola epidemics have. The national and international trade in wildlife also puts people in contact with animal infections that can then spread from person to person and potentially become a pandemic.
5. HEALTH WORKER SHORTAGES
A WHO report this year on nurses showed that the constant migration of nurses from low- and middle-income countries to high-income countries has left many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America with too few nurses and other health workers to adequately care for their populations.
Welcome to the “new world order”. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
