AS I SAID the other day, the week started in a rather interesting fashion and from the looks of it the trend will continue till the weekend.
And indeed here we are going to the weekend and the beauty parlors are still all abuzz about the minutest details and analyzing them as if their very lives depend upon it. If I were you, now and perhaps the following week is not a good time to have that haircut or manicure as you might just end up the scapegoat.
Yes, theyâre still in the denial stage but Rabiya Mateo lost. She is not the âbest Miss Universe we never hadâ. She is simply not the Miss Universe 2020. Incidentally, who won?
Have you noticed? They always promise to do their best. âI will do my bestâ is the convenient excuse of a loser. You join a competition to win, not to do your best. And you know why they always say that? Because if they lose they can always say at least I did my best.
Ahay, not even Top 10. She was doomed the moment she mouthed her handlersâ politics. Poor girl, there is no âbetter luck next time.â Sheâs already branded a loser who was just used as a mouthpiece.
Purely just out of curiosity, who are her support team, particularly the Q&A and âMissologyâ coach? To her supporters, if you must blame someone, check those out.
As expected, theyâre already blaming President Duterte for her loss and dismal finals performance (wow, Duterteâs power and influence even affects beauty contests) and if thatâs any indication, just imagine elections 2022.
But the silver lining is if indeed she is an empowered woman and a âwoke who just woke upâ, then she is now free to unleash her politics. Sign up for Gabriela. Campaign for Carpio. Defend the âWest Philippine Seaâ. Or even set up her very own community pantry along Maginhawa Street. Go girl, the three percent awaits you!
Oh well, enough of that nonsense. Letâs go back to the real world as the virus COVID-19 is still very much around, winning the Miss Universe or not. But donât fret as hereâs some good news. Excerpts from a May 15, 2021 article on Reuters:
Italian study shows COVID-19 infections, deaths plummeting after jabs
COVID-19 infections in adults of all ages fell by 80% five weeks after a first dose of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine, according to Italian research published on Saturday.
The first such study by a European Union country on the real-world impact of its immunization campaign was carried out by Italy’s National Institute of Health (ISS) and the Ministry of Health on 13.7 million people vaccinated nationwide.
Scientists started studying data from the day Italy’s vaccination campaign began, on Dec. 27 2020, until May 3 2021.
The analysis showed that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death decreased progressively after the first two weeks following the initial vaccination.
âAs of 35 days after the first dose, there is an 80% reduction in infections, 90% reduction in hospitalizations, and 95% reduction in deaths,” the ISS said, adding that the same pattern was seen in both men and women regardless of age.
âThis data confirms the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign and the need to achieve high coverage across the population quickly to end the emergency,â ISS president Silvio Brusaferro said in the statement.
Among the nearly 14 million people included in the Italian study, 95% of those who had taken Pfizer and Moderna had completed the vaccine cycle, while none of those given AstraZeneca had received a second dose.
Up until now, Italy has been following the makers’ recommendations, giving a second dose of Pfizer three weeks after the first, a second dose of Moderna after a four week gap and a second dose of AstraZeneca after a 12 week gap.
As of Saturday morning, some 8.3 million Italians, or 14% of the population, were completely vaccinated, while around 10 million people had received a first jab.
Good news indeed at least we have something to hope for as our vaccination program is starting to expedite the roll-out. Meanwhile, COVID-19 is airborne as confirmed by the WHO, what will protect you is the face mask; the face shield is just there to make you feel more uncomfortable. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com)/PN
