Sunday morning shocker

“There is no refuge from confession but suicide; and suicide is confession.”

—Daniel Webster

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHILE monitoring the Winter Storm Kenan in a Midtown Manhattan building on East 51^st Street, we were greeted by a “flash” report Sunday (January 30) morning that a woman had leaped to her death from a Midtown high-rise, a luxury 60-story Orion building at 350 West 42nd St. around 7:15 a.m. and was found dead in the street below.

The place is a 30-minute walk away from where I stayed since Friday (January 28) night when the powerful blizzard started lashing at the Northeast.

The building where she jumped (Photo from Google)

That morning, I was planning to write about the four casualties, all 

Long Island male residents, who collapsed shoveling snow in the same small town, as a nor’easter blanketed New York and much of the Northeast on Saturday (January 29).

I told a friend earlier that in the past blizzards, some of the dead suffered heart attack while digging out, which exactly what happened. The men were digging out during the storm, which dumped a foot of snow onto New York City and between 18 to 24 inches across Long Island.

About 2:30 p.m. on January 29, a 75-year-old man collapsed while shoveling snow on Barbara Drive in Syosset, a hamlet in Nassau County, it was reported. 

 

-o0o-

 

Meanwhile, it didn’t take for police too long to identify the fatality in the Midtown Manhattan incident as Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst.

I learned later that day she worked as a reporter for ExtraTV.

It was the New York Post who first came up with a detailed story before noontime. 

Kryst, 30, a lawyer by profession, reportedly posted on her Instagram page, “May this day bring you rest and peace” shortly she jumped.

“In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” the former beauty queen’s family said in a statement Sunday. 

“Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined.

“Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on EXTRA,” her family said. “But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague—we know her impact will live on.”

Kryst lived on the ninth floor of the building and was alone when she jumped and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace, according to the New York Post.

 

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Kryst reportedly left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother, a former pageant competitor herself who was crowned Mrs. North Carolina in 2002. New York Post said the note didn’t include a motive for Kryst’s actions.

“Not only beautiful but she was smart—she was a lawyer,” a police source said of Kryst. “She has a life that anyone would be jealous of. … It’s so sad.”

Kryst, a former Miss North Carolina, won top honors at the 2019 Miss USA pageant, wearing a sparkly winged outfit for the National Costume competition, a nod to Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

“Our hearts are broken,” the company said in a statement. “Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show. She was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”

Kryst spoke out on Facebook for World Mental Health Day, offering tips on how she coped with stress in October 2019. 

“I do a lot to make sure that I maintain my mental health,” she said. “And the most important thing that I did is talk to a counselor. She’s really easy to talk to. She gives me great strategies especially if I’m sad or happy or have a busy month ahead of me. 

“When I’m not talking to my counselor, I spend time at the end of every single day to just decompress,” Kryst added. “I unplug, I shut my phone off, I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies.”

She discussed the issue again in an interview with The Hilltop in 2020.

“There are three things that I’m doing with regard with self-care,” Kryst said. “No. 1, I try to set a regular schedule so my alarm rings every day at 6:45. I know that I’m getting up and I’m starting my day.

“Two, I try to set very clear boundaries, so even though I’m at home and I’ve got my computer, my phone with me, I’m done answering emails at 6 o’clock, I’m not responding to messages. It’s over.”

Third, she said, “I have a regular workout schedule that keeps my body healthy and my mind sharp.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Right, we didn’t kill all lawyers

 “People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.” 

—Will Rogers

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF we killed all the lawyers, as what William Shakespeare had “suggested” in Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2, no one would believe Rowena Guanzon, the fire-spewing outgoing Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner, who helped enrich our knowledge about “moral turpitude”, now becoming the oft-repeated words in the furor involving the case for disqualification filed against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.  

In voting to disqualify the 64-year-old son of the late strongman Marcos Sr. in the May 9, 2022 election, lawyer Guanzon emphasized repeatedly in various media interviews that Marcos Jr. “committed a moral turpitude” when he didn’t pay his taxes as Ilocos Norte governor from 1982 to 1985.

And because of this, he was convicted in the trial court and ordered by the Court of Appeals to pay a penalty which he didn’t do, according to the flamboyant lady poll commissioner.

The first two petitions filed in the Comelec first division where Guanzon is the presiding judge, alleged that Marcos is "perpetually ineligible" to run for public office as he was found guilty of failing to file income tax returns and pay his income taxes.

This was before the then First Family was ousted via “People Power” EDSA Revolution in 1986.

 

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Bongbong Marcos supposedly was guilty of moral turpitude for having been convicted of the tax offense.

The word turpitude can be defined as a shameful, vile, or corrupt character or acts.

According to Legal Dictionary, moral turpitude refers to conduct that shocks the public conscience, or which does not fall within the moral standards held by the community. 

The law concerning moral turpitude reportedly has been constantly changing and evolving, as the moral standards of society in general change.

If the world “listened” to William Shakespeare and “stopped producing” lawyers or legal luminaries starting some 400 years ago, no one would explain to ordinary laypersons what moral turpitude and the legalese as a whole are all about. 

Only the lawyers or those in the legal profession can enlighten and tell us that crimes involving moral turpitude are generally grouped into three distinct general categories.  

The general categories of crimes and moral turpitude, according to Legal Dictionary, include: (1) crimes against property, (2) crimes against the government, and (3) crimes against people. 

Each category reportedly consists of certain crimes involving moral turpitude, and crimes that are not considered to involve moral turpitude.

 

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For the second time in six years, I considered myself to be very lucky when powerful blizzards like the recent “Bomb Cyclone” battered the Northeast.

When the snow storm, categorized as hurricane, came January 28 evening until January 30, I was in my workplace and didn’t go out until after the weather monster has left. 

Thus, I was spared of the terrible inconvenience and possible harm experienced by motorists and those who traveled from workplace to home vice versa during those turbulent hours via subway and highways.

When the historic blizzard, with a force double than the “Bomb Cyclone”, lashed at East Coast in 2016, I was also lucky to be “stranded” for several days in my workplace in Manhattan, thus I was also safe and sound there.

When I reached my apartment after the super snow storm in 2016, most of my stuff had been gobbled up by thick snow that penetrated through my room’s sliding glass door facing the street (that’s how ferocious was that 2016 blizzard).

As of this writing, I don’t have any idea what happened to my stuff when I come home after the “Bomb Cyclone.” 

More than a foot of snow fell in coastal New Jersey, with 7.5 to 10 inches in the metro New York City area. Islip Airport on Long Island reported 22.4 inches.

As of Saturday evening, A foot-and-a-half to two feet had fallen in the Boston area from Plymouth to Essex counties, with the powdery snow blowing and drifting in the frigid winds. Final totals could reach 30 inches in some locations, as light snow was still falling.

Given the high winds, lack of visibility and phenomenal snowfall rates, airports were having a hard time staying open.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

  

 

Bongbong’s goose is cooked?

“Winning or losing of the election is less important than strengthening the country.”

—Indira Gandhi

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

NOW that the cat is out of the bag, only a miracle can probably save presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from being disqualified.

In fact, anytime from now, it is feared the 64-year-old former senator’s goose is cooked.

The key words were already released by retiring Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon: “President Rodrigo Duterte did not want to interfere in the Comelec decision.”

Reading between the lines, President Duterte presumably must have already been “notified” by the Comelec’s decision on Bongbong’s case.

In the event of a disqualification, Bongbong can still go to the Supreme Court while his campaign for the May 9, 2022 election continues.    

But this could damage his candidacy.

It’s another story if you’ve been distracted and tainted even if you lead in all the major surveys.

The voters won’t risk supporting someone who was not guaranteed to occupy the post even if he was allowed to run while the disqualification case was on appeal.

It appeared the case for disqualification filed against the only son of the late dictator was strong that any alleged attempt to influence the poll body’s decision was bound to fail. 

Two weeks ago, we predicted that a big political story would explode and bring sadness to the supporters of a leading presidential candidate.

This could be it.

 

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What is being asked of the voters when they go to the polling precincts to cast their votes on May 9, 2022 is not heavy and impossible: wear a face mask.

Authorities weren’t mandating that all voters must be vaccinated, which is illegal and will surely cause a lot of trouble both for the authorities and those who would continue to refuse to be inoculated if implemented.

Those who were quick to react angrily should learn to distinguish between being required only to wear a mask and being forced to have a Covid-19 vaccine.

In the first place, no authority can force anyone to get a Covid-19 vaccine with or without election. 

Wearing of a face mask is a safe measure, a win-win situation. A voter who is not vaccinated may still adhere to the mandatory wearing of mask. 

By that time, the pandemic hopefully might be on the downswing, but health authorities may still require the people to continue observing the basic protocol in relation to the pandemic for the safety and good of everyone.

 

-o0o-

 

I am guilty of violating my own declaration recently that my 11^th swab testing in only two weeks in the month of January, was my last.

I actually had four more after that “false” declaration: two rapid antigen tests and two PCR tests respectively on January 26 and 27.

I can’t blame those who might tag me as “the swab tester who cried wolf.” If I say this is my last, which is the truth, no one might believe it anymore.

To be frank about it, I am not sure if the last four were the last and final.

Next week, I might do it again. I am not doing this for nothing, or for something sinister whatsoever.

I have a legitimate purpose and explanation, which I will try to discuss in my next articles. 

I’m just being a “good soldier” and probably a responsible person who knows how to follow and obey what is right in as far as the ongoing battle against the spread of Covid-19 is concerned.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

  

 

 

Villar’s broadcast franchise a victory for economy

“A strong economy begins with a strong, well-educated workforce.” 

—Bill Owens

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

IF billionaire former Senator Manuel Villar’s Advanced Media Broadcasting System, Inc. has lawfully acquired the channels previously assigned to ABS-CBN, we don’t see any hindrance for its operations to blast off soon.

Lawfully means it must pass through the proper legal channels from licensing, permit, trade name, labor, environmental viability, among other pre-acquisition and operational requirements, not through the back-door alley and arm-twisting tactics.

Any lawful acquisition of a legitimate business or franchise for any businessman or investor in a free country like the Philippines is healthy for the national economy.

It’s otherwise known as Laissez faire or free enterprise.

Capitalist economies operate on the pillars of private property, supply, and demand, competition, freedom, and incentive.

As one of the country’s richest and most successful capitalists, Villar should be able to once again thrive in his latest investment conquest; once given the green signal, his fledgling broadcasting company is expected to help spur the Philippine economic growth in the next level as it would certainly generate employment opportunities for thousands of Filipinos.

 

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If it is good for the economy as a whole, is Villar’s ascension as would-be broadcast media mogul bad for politics? 

It depends on who is interpreting it, or whose political and business interests are at stake.

Because he is President Rodrigo Duterte’s crony, critics are quick to attribute Villar’s latest sensational triumph to so-called “crony capitalism” prevalent during the Marcos hegemony in the 70’s.

We can’t blame these critics. Everything that politicians do, even if it is for the country’s economic prosperity, will always be linked to politics.

Be that as it may, but what we are trying to look here is the bigger picture rather than the divisive and counterproductive political intramural and nitpicking, which has no tangible impact on the immediate and long-lasting needs of an economically enfeebled nation.

It’s seeing the forest through the trees, not just the façade.

 

-o0o-  

 

The regular emails I received from New York Governor Kathy Hochul were always full of interesting information and facts about the state’s battle against the pandemic. Here’s another one:   

Alex, When it comes to our fight against the winter surge, we are trending in the right direction and making progress. For six days straight, our COVID positivity rate has been below 10%, the lowest since December 20.

And thanks to New Yorkers wearing their masks and getting vaccinated, boosted, and tested, we’ve been able to bring new positive case numbers down to a third of what they were just two weeks ago — and hospitalizations are down by nearly 2,700 over the past week.

But we’re not through this surge just yet. We’re working hard to bring New Yorkers more tests, more testing locations, and more places to get vaccinated and boosted — please, keep using these tools. Let’s dive in.

TAKE-HOME TESTS FOR EVERY STUDENT. Testing is a critical tool to keep our kids safe and in the classroom. By the end of this week, we will have already distributed more than 14 million tests to schools. And to continue our efforts, we’re sending two tests home with every K-12 student ahead of the midwinter break. Tests are widely available across the state—find a testing location near you and get tested today.  

MORE #VAXFORKIDS POP-UP SITES. We’re making it even easier for kids to get vaccinated with 76 new Vax for Kids pop-up sites set up to date. Vaccines are safe and effective, and over 1.5 million New York kids already have received at least one vaccine dose. Parents & guardians, if you’ve been waiting to get your child vaccinated, now’s the time to do it. Make an appointment today.  

 SENDING TESTS TO NURSING HOMES. Our efforts focused on controlling the spread of COVID in nursing homes are working — cases are down 30% in nursing homes as of January 22. We have deployed 2.2 million tests to nursing homes and congregate care settings already, with 200,000 more coming this week.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Politicians must be willing to be stung by bees

“Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.” 

—John F. Kennedy

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE lousiest and most pathetic politicians, in my opinion, are those allergic to media, or the ones with jitters in one-on-one or “live” interviews.

Either these politicians have an inferiority complex, or they simply lack the self confidence and feel uncomfortable during the Q and A scrimmage.

 In some cases, they deliberately avoid the press because they have something to hide—a scandal, an anomaly involving the taxpayers’ money, past family and personal transgressions they don’t intend to hear or remember again, but which may be capriciously dug up in the course of inquisition.    

There are politicians who, even after being elected and reelected, or appointed and reappointed into various positions, still aren’t aware or aren’t guided accordingly that holding regular conferences with the press is part and parcel of their being in that office.

This identity crisis has led to some harebrained to disastrously mothball their relationship with the Fourth Estate by hauling off their media critics to court for libel when they couldn’t stand the heat.     

 

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When somebody decides to make politics a profession, he must be willing and “get ready to rumble”—meaning, he must accept the kind of life where he will be constantly stung by the bees seeking inquiries over a myriad of social and political issues and controversies. 

And he will be habitually subjected to public scrutiny through the mass media.

Politicians made of sterner stuff aren’t media shy; they’re always on the go and willing to slug it out with the inquisitive press in open fora.

The most trustworthy politicians are intrepid, dyed in the wool, and transparent.

Through their regular interactions and punch-ups with the critical press, they become sharper and wiser; their mental and emotional durability is best tested and waded through.

These are the types of public servants who courageously spend some of their precious moments in office “waltzing with the press” in no-holds-barred donnybrooks with nary an iota of excuses and lamentation.

 

-o0o-

 

I immediately remember friends and family members in the Philippines, who, like everyone else in this planet, have spent some cash to buy face masks and other protective gadgets while battling the pandemic these past two years.

I was also reminded of the free swab testing in the United States while Filipinos grapple to shell out from P5,000 to P8,000 cash for the swab and PCR test in the Philippines.  

In the United States, there’s no need to spend a single centavo to avail of the quality masks.

The Biden administration has announced the distribution of 400 million free N95 masks to Americans this week.

The latest federal step aimed at reining in the spread of Covid-19 would have also benefited our friends and family remembers if they were in the United States. 

The masks, coming from the Strategic National Stockpile, would be made available at a number of local pharmacies and community health centers. 

A White House official described the distribution as “the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in US history.” 

The huge allotment amounts to more than half of the 750 million N95 masks currently stored in the reserve, a figure that tripled over the last year as the administration sought to boost reserves. 

The move came as the US grappled with an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Science wins vs ignorance

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.”

—Albert Einstein

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

AFTER two years of being battered by Covid-19 that killed some 5.6 million people and infected at least 351 million people worldwide, some countries are reportedly beginning to recover from the pandemic.

This positive development became possible because of medical science, when health experts were able to produce the vaccines that finally helped stop the pandemic on its tracks, at least with good results in many countries where the vaccines have been successfully rolled out.

Most of those who have been inoculated were the ones who survived when the deadliest waves of variants slammed the humanity these past months with horrific results.

Most of those who either died or landed in the hospitals, statistics showed, were those who either refused the vaccines even if they were available, or weren’t vaccinated because of different circumstances.       

Ignorance became one of the major factors why some of those who shunned and denounced the Covid-19 vaccines suffered the worst. 

Science has triumphed over ignorance.

 

-o0o-

 

If we know nothing about medical science, the least we can do is to trust the medical experts—the scientists, instead of embracing unproven negative allusions and outlandish theories that only exacerbated our ignorance and put to risk the public health.

I believe the health experts when they exhorted us amid the pandemic that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 can lower our risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes Covid-19. 

Experts have repeatedly asserted that vaccines can also help prevent serious illness and death.

Also, all steps have been taken to ensure that vaccines are safe and effective for people ages five years and older.

If we already had Covid-19, we should still get a Covid-19 vaccine for added protection, according to the medical experts. 

When we are up to date on Covid-19 vaccination, we can resume many activities with proper precautions like mask wearing in indoor public spaces.

As simple as that. There’s no need to argue and fight if this is all about public health. 

We must show that we belong instead of being rebellious and acting geniuses over matters we actually don’t have any expertise.

 

-o0o-

 

I believe, and I never doubt from the beginning, when medical experts claimed that Covid-19 vaccination is a safer way to build protection. 

Getting a Covid-19 vaccination is a safer way to build protection than getting sick with Covid-19, we have been told by medical experts. 

Covid-19 vaccination helps protect us by creating an antibody response without us having to experience sickness, added the medical experts. It has been proven anywhere in the world that getting sick with Covid-19 can have serious consequences.

Getting sick with Covid-19 can cause severe illness or death, even in children, and we can’t reliably predict who will have mild or severe illness.

The guidelines and warnings by medical experts are very basic and easy to understand and there is no reason to oppose them not unless we can offer the best solutions other than the ones being given by the medical experts.

We may have long-term health issues after Covid-19 infection, and even those who do not have symptoms when they are initially infected can have these ongoing health problems.

People who are sick with Covid-19 may spread Covid-19 to others including friends and family who are not eligible for vaccination and people at increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Whoa, journalism biased?

 “We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.” —Helen Thomas

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

I FIND it absurd and laughable for some critics to accuse journalists who write straight news and conduct one-on-one or group interviews to be biased only because they don’t like those making the reporting and doing the interview.

In the first place, a straight news is called “straight” because it is based on facts; we can’t invent what happened, when did it happen, where did it happen, who were involved, why and how it happened. 

Straight news or news writing has its own sentence structure and syntax; it is narrating everything based on these basic elements.

Interviews, like the recent “The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews” aired on GMA Network, on the other hand, is, in fact, the most transparent form of media reporting.

Questions in one-on-one or group interviews like the presidential debates or the ones recently given by Ms Soho that became viral because Bongbong Marcos chickened out and accused the GMA host of being “biased”, may be tough but can’t be biased because they are mostly common questions; there is a format that makes the interview fair and square to all concerned.

 

-o0o-

 

There are “difficult” questions sometimes intended only for a particular interviewee or participant, but they aren’t biased; they are based on the interviewee’s or participant’s link to certain legitimate issues, his or her background and affiliations, and the controversies he or she had been involved with. 

Asking these questions can’t be knocked as “bias”; they need to be brought up for purposes of transparency and for the concerned interviewees to be given the chance to air their side on that program.

If the interviewee has nothing to hide or fear, he or she must accept the challenge of a “live” televised interview and won’t give hilarious excuses.

A biased host basically has no credibility and, therefore, can’t perform, or will be prevented from conducting a widely televised presidential interview. 

The host’s reputation is his or her best qualification—and disqualification. Ms Soho’s stature as an award-winning and reputable broadcast journalist is more than a qualification to hold such interview.

The subjects of a “live” interview with skeletons in the closets or have plenty of acts of falsifications and anomalies to hide and want to skirt are normally the ones who are quick to shout “bias” to justify their cold feet.

 

-o0o-

 

Only the newspaper editorial page or radio and the social media anchormen doing public affairs commentaries can be inherently biased because that’s the way they are meant to be. 

An opinion piece must say something and needs to take a position. 

In my case, as I see it, I need to express my views on certain issues and subject matters; my job as journalist is to gather information, translate it for my audience and communicate it clearly and effectively. 

Sometimes that is best done by giving my own perspective along with my sources’. 

And often, the most powerful way of doing that is by writing in first person.

It doesn’t make me crooked and unreliable. The editors, the gatekeepers of all the paper’s contents, and the readers will always have the final reckoning.

That’s why there’s a clear-cut demarcation line or a state-and-church-separation rule between news writing and the op-ed page.

The idea of bias and its implied opposite, objectivity, in journalism are always inextricably linked.    

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

We are starting to see the light

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.” —John Wayne

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE have actually tried to think positively even before the new year came, wishing that hopefully the pandemic won’t last long in 2022 after we spent the last two years grimacing and trying to remain mentally and emotionally intact.

But when Omicron entered the picture before 2021 bade goodbye, our worries and frustrations even grew higher.

Wherever we went and whatever we did, all we could hear and read in the news was still about Covid-19, the hike of number of cases and hospitalization. And even death.

For a while, it looked like it’s a never-ending misery, the same old horrible story being retold and experienced repeatedly.

But instead of losing hope, we must insist to continue to think positively and believe that there is still a ray of hope and good developments amid all these depressing news. 

Here’s one positive story: While case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths are still climbing rapidly in many parts of the United States, they are reportedly dropping fast in New York City, one of the first places in the country to be hit hard by Omicron.

 

-o0o-

 

As the data trajectory in the Big Apple closely resembles that seen in South Africa and Britain, hope is reportedly rising that the good news from Johannesburg will prove to be a harbinger of better news, at least, for the United States.

Also, only eight weeks after the world first heard about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, when researchers in South Africa who discovered the strain notified global authorities, that country's wave of infections has fallen as sharply as it climbed, reported the CBS News.

Not only that, but South Africa has reportedly weathered its fourth wave of COVID-19 with very little interruption to people's lives.

In a recent report by CBS News foreign correspondent Debora Patta, “in the suburbs of Johannesburg, restaurants are busy again, traffic is jammed, and the city is bustling.”

“Omicron quickly became the focus of global anxiety as infections spread across South Africa with ferocious speed. Within days, the country was at the epicenter of the pandemic. And then… well, not much happened at all,” it was reported.

It’s too early to lower our guards down, but let’s continue to brace for more good news. 

 

-o0o-

 

Here are some of the important questions about the coronavirus in the light of Omicron’s onslaught from Dr. Liza Maragakis of the Johns Hopkins Medicine:

If I have COVID-19, when will I feel better? Those with a mild case of COVID-19 usually recover within one to two weeks. For severe cases, recovery can take six weeks or more, and there may be lasting damage to the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain.

Is there medicine I can take to feel better if I have COVID-19?

For most people, rest and drinking plenty of fluids are the best treatments. Your doctor may also suggest you take over-the-counter medication for fever.

More severe cases require hospitalization. Hospital care may include breathing support, such as a ventilator, or other treatments.

—Does a coronavirus diagnosis mean I’ll get pneumonia? Some patients with COVID-19 develop pneumonia. Viral pneumonia, such as from COVID-19, cannot be treated with antibiotics. In severe cases, ventilator support may be needed to ensure the body is getting enough oxygen.

People over age 65 and those with certain health conditions are at a higher risk of developing pneumonia and may experience more severe cases of COVID-19. Studies show that in patients with COVID-19, pneumonia may progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can be fatal in some patients.

—Can I get COVID-19 more than once? Researchers are eager to learn more about a person’s immunity after having COVID-19. For some viruses, a person can have lasting immunity; for others, the immunity lasts only a limited time. More research will reveal how the body responds to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

—After COVID-19, when is it safe for me to go out in public?

Talk to your doctor. In general, you can resume contact with other people after: You have had one day without fever (without any fever-reducing medications during that time), AND It has been at least 10 days since you first experienced symptoms, AND Your symptoms are improving.

If you have a severe case of COVID-19, a suppressed immune system or other special circumstances, your doctor may recommend a longer period of isolation or further testing. If you test negative for the coronavirus twice in a row, with tests at least 24 hours apart, you can resume contact with others.

 (The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Another subway murder; but I fear the lunatics no more

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” —Isaac Asimov

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

AS a daily commuter in New York City’s subway, I feel “safer” now even if close to a year ago, the video showing I was being verbally attacked by an emotionally—and, perhaps, mentally—disturbed male black passenger inside a running subway train, went viral at the height of the Asian Hate Crime attacks in the United States.

Safety in the New York City subway was again brought up in the conversations over the week following the killing of 40-year-old subway passenger, Michelle Alyssa Go, January 15 morning after being pushed onto the subway tracks at about 9:30 a.m. at the 42nd Street Times Square station by another mentally deranged black man.

We feel safe only if we’re awake and not dozing off especially during a long trip.

In my case, I had to travel daily via subway on R or Q train for more or less two hours from Queens via Manhattan vice versa when I used to work in Brooklyn.

In my new workplace in Manhattan, distance is no longer a major concern; F or E train brings me to my destination from Queens vice versa for less than 20 minutes, barring unforeseen incidents.

I feel I can now handle the lunatics and racial haters; I’m no longer intimidated and scared of them, not after living in the Big Apple for seven years now. 

My horrible experience during the turbulent waves of Asian Hate Crime attacks last year has taught me one lesson: “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” (This is actually a phrase from the 1933 inaugural address of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.)

Sun Tzu once said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”

 

-o0o-

 

My instinct reminds me to be always alert and, as what we referees in professional boxing always tell the two ring titans before the bout, “protect yourself at all times.”

If we are tatanga tanga and complacent, we will only have ourselves to blame if one day we will again be featured on CNN and other news networks after being tormented and terrorized by another episode of violent physical attack—while sleeping inside the train.

But even if we are awake, random attacks could still happen anytime and anywhere—in and outside any public transportation.

It pays to be alert and vigilant all the time. 

We can’t be paralyzed forever by irrational fear, or the disturbing thought of being mugged and physically violated anew by losers and haters who blame us not only for the spread of Covid-19 virus, but for being “successful and productive immigrants.”  

What I fear most actually is being “trapped” in the tunnel (the train crosses underneath the rivers) when the train sometimes suddenly stopped or “malfunctioned” (it happens from time to time but rarely).

It’s “easier” to tackle an attacker inside the train (running away is the best option if we can’t land the knockout punch first in a worst case scenario), but to be “suffocated” when the train’s engine stopped while crossing the tunnel and the lights went off is real hell; I could die of panic attack (I have a fear of close spaces). 

 

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When he recently made an ocular visit, New York City Mayor Eric Adams admitted January 18 that even he didn’t feel safe on the subway. 

Adams, who has been mayor for a little over two weeks, has noted that a perception of danger could drive more people to eschew the subway, complicating the city’s economic recovery as it tries to draw people back to offices, tourist attractions and more.

“We want to continue to highlight how imperative it is that people receive the right mental health services, particularly on our subway system,” the mayor said. 

“To lose a New Yorker in this fashion will only continue to elevate the fears of individuals not using our subway system.”

A high-profile killing at New York City’s busiest subway station has injected fresh unease into the perception of whether the lifeblood of the nation’s largest city is safe.

Mayor Adams, who has been in office for just over two weeks, made a point of taking the subway to City Hall on his first day to work and had announced plans to boost the presence of police officers in the subway and reach out to homeless people in the stations and trains as part of a mission to combat “actual crime” and “the perception of crime.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Let’s be kind even to anti-vaxxers

“Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are.” —Stephen Moyer

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE chief sources of conflict and quarrel are always arrogance, greed, pride, hot temper, feeling superior or dominant, being irrational, and being insanely perfectionist.

Relationships among political partymates, classmates, officemates, churchmates, among other fraternal and even blood ties, can be wrecked if we allow any of the above-mentioned character defects or aberrations to get the better of us.

Even in the decision on how to handle and treat those who have shunned the mandated Covid-19 vaccinations, family members and friends end up at each other’s throats. 

A very basic subject matter on health that has transformed into a tsunami of animosity and violence when what is needed to resolve the issue is a simple common sense.

But it brings us to a basic contention that not all those who have refused Covid-19 vaccinations will die. 

In fact, not all of them will be infected with the deadly virus as long as they don’t mix with the crowd, their immunity system is really durable, and they don’t lower down their guards.  

Their should be no quarrel as long as they will wear the mandatory face masks and follow the rules. To be vaccinated is a personal choice. A mask mandate, after all, is already a law in many parts of the world afflicted by the pandemic. 

Amid the pandemic, there’s no harm if we continue to be kind and good, be patient and understanding, especially if the bone of contention in any argument will redound to the common good of everyone.

 

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Some anti-vaxxers, actually, have landed in the hospitals; many didn’t survive after being horrifically taken out by Delta variant and, in rare cases, Omicron variant. 

But these true-to-life stories and realities will never intimidate them. 

Once they have decided they would not avail of any vaccination, that is it. No one can change their decision. Nothing can influence or coerce them to reconsider their stand. 

They will stand by their being anti-vaxxers no matter what their anxious and terribly worried family members and friends tell them. 

But this doesn’t mean, however, that we discriminate and treat them like dregs.

On the the hand, those in the majority—the ones who made major sacrifices in their day to day life and have been religiously following all the guidelines and protocols to help prevent the spread of coronavirus—must also be protected if the anti-vaxxers’ continued recalcitrance has compromised their comfort, safety, and well-being.

 

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Writer Carrol Baker believes that kindness can change the world.

We will just imagine if the whole world was a kinder place. What a difference that would make. 

Practicing the art of kindness and giving isn’t just about digging deep for charity: it’s showing compassion and thoughtfulness towards others; a spur-of-the-moment act of generosity or a valued commitment to volunteer for a cause you believe in, according Baker.

She wrote: “Being kind to others not only makes you feel good—sometimes a simple act of kindness can have a ripple effect; your good deed flows into the receiver’s stream of consciousness and they, too, can look for opportunities to pass it on.”

“At its very core,” Baker added, “kindness is about empathy, being aware of your environment and seeking ways to selflessly enrich the lives of others. And giving to others benefits the giver as well as the receiver; it nourishes the spirit as it shifts our inner focus from ourselves to others. Researchers call this sense of inner warmth and satisfaction that results from doing good deeds for another a ‘helper’s high’”. 

This euphoric state produces physiological sensations that reduce stress levels, and regulates the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, Baker concluded.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)