Conversations About LONG COVID

The pandemic really got the nation crippled. I'm sure you're absolutely glad it's over, but for a percentage of the population.. the nightmare of debilitating conditions continue. Over coffee and tea this morning at One World Deli in Timog Avenue, we got to talk amongst those involved with the case of people living with LONG COVID. 

According to Dr. Camilo Road.Jr "Long Covid happens after the actual Covid itself. It's liberation day compared a few years ago where almost everyone was afraid of it. It's effects at the time of illness can be seen not just in the respiratory system, but also the immune system, therefore damaging other parts of the body. It caused death for a lot of people, and normalizing the body takes a lot of time after the cure. The fight may have subsided, but we do see mortality in 1%. The scare is still there, even in other illnesses that have higher mortality rate, some of which still suffer from it. Whether by scarring, virus fragments, while no longer contagious, still suffer from it. Long COVID happens 10-20 percent of those who had it, much higher in females and those who had it multiple times including the unvaccinated. Manifestation includes Fatigue, Headache, Attention Disorder, Hair Loss, Dyspnea. If you got it after being Covid, then that is Long Covid. Patients are taught to breathe more actively, avoid triggers, identify new limits and follow accordingly."

Roel Balignasay who's had Long COVID for 4 years told us "The chronic pains and silent battles just changed a bit of me being a man of action. In April, I thought I had flu, but was coughing intensely and felt I ran a marathon. I spent a total of 30 days in the hospital and couldn't eat because my throat was in pain, I also had muscle atrophy so I couldn't walk, had widespread body pain, got so confused and had brain fog. I had palpitations, but it was a health crisis. I also had diabetes, kidney stones, 2 blockages in my heart and 42 percent calcified.  I couldn't sing during those times, but this year, I can but have a hard time sustaining it due to fatigue and a scar on my larynx caused by laryngitis and GERD. I understood that's where the difficulty in breathing was coming from. It was a case of Long Covid according to my pulmonologist. I was told to check my heart rate, it was high when I was just sitting. Before I could work 12 hours, but now even talking was hard. I resigned from work, resorted to health supplements and machine, you may want to ask me about that. Work was strenuous, I look healthy but it was that, stigma. In the end, I had to change homes. Recently I joined communities, and tell people about it. It's a public health issue, and research needs to be done for it. I hope people listen with intent, the challenges had happen to me and some of my friends would tell me there's no Covid anymore. I stopped talking to people because of it and had depression."

Author of My Long Covid Journey: The Saga Behind the Smile Ms. Becks Galvez Tan told us a bit about her life as she says "I am a diagnosed Long COVID patient, fighting for my life 4 years ago where lungs were damaged, had hair loss, difficulty swallowing, sensory overload and the symptoms came and went, like a rollercoaster. The COVID-19 damaged not the lungs, but other organs as well. I felt better when I read other patients had 147 symptoms, but now I am tied to a oxygen concentrator because of a paralysis in my right diaphragm. From being able to walk easily before, I can only do it 2 minutes now. Every 3 minutes I had to rest going up the stairs, I had to rest for 40 minutes here before I could talk. It's just hard to believe that now I couldn't lift a finger. The fatigue is real, and the pain is excruciating. Now I recover faster compared before, but it is like dying in so many ways. I don't see my old self, I am in disbelief but I have moved on and focus on what I can do. In between crashes, I wrote all of it in The Saga Behind the Smile. It is available on digital for free, you can read it, I am living testament that you can still live despite suffering in silence. I don't want to spend my life in misery, I now learned to pace myself, I rest and do something on other days. It's just hard for people to understand. It's different everyday so I can't tell if symptoms are going to happen or not."

It's an E-Book, which you can download via bit.ly/MyLongCovidJourney.

Right now they are creating support groups and want to reach other Long COVID patients to they can help in not just advocacy but find government help. Get in touch with them, it's not okay to suffer in silence, you CAN get help today. If you need more information about it, please refer to World Health Organization channels.and the Department of Health.

"Push Your Best Self Forward" with Difflam

Today seems a good day to have a fine voice and remain fruity. Our friends from Difflam lozenges bare good news about a recent clinical study done by University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center showing how the antiseptic throat lozenges alleviated sore throat done on COVID-19 patients. This study was led by Dr. Jennifer Nailes the VP for Research together with a team of medical experts and was done on infected Filipino COVID-19 patients who had sore throats. 

Jason Carroll the Managing Director of iNova Pharmaceuticals says "Difflam has been the most doctor prescribed sore throat brand in the Philippines and today in clinical studies with experts in their fields ensure consumers who suffer sore throat pains be taken cared of in this time of a different normal. We hope Difflam can make you pursue your best, welcome to this session."

Dr. Ramon Jason Javier one of the Clinical Investigators presented the paper and says "This research was funded by iNova and hopes to identify the time of total resolution of throat pain in COVID-19 patients. It must have fast action and prolonged sustained effect with the use of over the counter Benzydamine + Cetylpyridiun or Difflam lozenges for patients 12-60 years old. All patients were consulted with their attending doctors through appointments or telemedicine sessions. Patients were instructed to take 1 every 1-2 hours, max 12 per day for 7 days along with prescription medicines. They were instructed to take it until time of no recurrence of odaynophagia. These were 146 subjects, of where 96% of them were also vaccinated, 76.2% of which have no comorbidities. Much of them didn't experience sore throat on the 5th day, of which some getting relief as early as 60 minutes similar with the Difflam Gargle Study."

The gist of this is shorter duration of symptoms, leading to you having less pain, less days in confinement, to eventually go back to normal which is important at this day and age. It's effective, safe and manufactured well (quality). This is an important medical update people should know especially that it has evolved since ECQ was enforced, the vaccine development has been also fast, but we still need to be vigilant, to stay safe, while we do minimum health standards and relax a bit and keep our lifestyle in check every day.

Check out Difflam's social channels for more information about their campaign and see how you can see the Diff and feel the Diff in your home.

CIMB: Helping Filipinos Find Their Purpose

Millennials make up 47 percent of the workforce in the Philippines and during and event in BGC today, CIMB and Ateneo Resource Center held an event called "The Pursuit of Purpose: Discovering Filipino Millennials Views in Living A Life with Purpose".

Bunny Aguilar of CIMB Bank says "We are sharing the results of the white paper we've done in the last year amon millenials through Ateneo Business Resource Center. This is important for us. Life and career has been different post pandemic, how are they after ECQ? When COVID happened, it have us an opportunity to think of our careers. There's a phenomenon called "Great Resignation" and much of the millennials are not like the previous ones, and this white study tells they always ask the reason "Why?" and if what they want is for personal development. Knowing what we know now, we took the opportunity to tell them that we do hear them, and help them fulfill their life's passions. We want to raise awareness, educate the market on responsible credit borrowing, on saving money and going digital. Aside from the literacy programs, we have deposit products that having higher than industry rate compared to usual banks. From application to fulfillment, it's all online, all digital. We took processes even for a loan all digital. When I joined the company, I knew how they give accessible financial solutions to help fulfill all those things digitally. We always encourage our customers to start early, no matter what age you are, and see how compounding effects of interest rates have on one's savings. There's no other day than today to fulfill one's life purpose."

Dr. Norman Tanchingco of the John Gokongwei School of Management at the Ateneo adds "Institutions can help. This tells how personal values, finances play in career decisions. For career fulfillment, a lot of millennials are in the middle. More males were more fulfilled whilst more females were unfulfilled. They also are actively pursuing their life purpose, they also find a lot of progress in their chosen fields, and the biggest limitation is finances. They also think their work reflect their values, but 83 percent are always feel stressed (more females than men) and financial situation is the main reason as stressors. Much of them also agree that they live paycheck to paycheck. Much of them have a goal of having their own savings, with the premise of having a better financial standing particularly this year. They also have agreed on the notion that financial resources mean better opportunities. They believe passion and finances go hand and hand. Women are more worried about it, while men stay in jobs that have more social impact, in change, power or status. They also continue to strive for life's passions, in a more calculated way. It is a snapshot of post pandemic context. This will change over time." 

Vijay Manoharan the CEO of CIMB Philippines says "We will continue to provide solutions, make conversations about living their life purpose. We commit to empower more Filipinos, especially in the financial services sector. We have been in the PH a little over 5 years ago to solve a problem, digital banking, access to it, and now it's not new. No other banks was doing that, now it's easy to open, also no fees, and now they can save without the need for minimum amounts, much simpler, making us one of the fastest growing digital bank in the region. We allowed them to access credit easily so they can get what they want to do, and shape the next generation of Filipinos gain knowledge of our unique services. To share what we do and have it be appreciated by students, start using something that would better the lives of Filipinos. Ateneans can also become part of CIMB, we can equip them knowledge in the financial industry." 

CIMB is taking on a role on an advocacy that champion the life of Filipinos. They will continue their financial literacy programs. Being the biggest only digital bank in the country, they worked with Ateneo to make sure they have products and services that benefit more Filipinos. Soon, they will also have a CSR and sustainability program aside from the financial education they are rolling out now, so expect even bigger things with CIMB.