China Corona Virus Outbreak

[kagalingan]

parang ang target ng virus na ito eh may kwarta may pangalan.

[dr. d]

parang ang target ng virus na ito eh may kwarta may pangalan.

sila kasi ang mas maraming may sakit ng mayaman (lifestyle disease).
heh heh.

[kagalingan]

kaya nagkagulo ang mundo dok, tinamaan yung stock markets, the movers of the society kaya biglang panic.

pero pag sakit/problema ng mahihirap or enviroment eh tuloy lang ang buhay wapakels.

imagine biglang mararanasna natin in our lifetime ganito parang holy week ambience for a month.

doc bakti ganun yung mga post ko nagkakatotoo. Kasi few months ago may post ako na naghahanap ako village na holy week ambience yung as in walang kotse pumapasok kasi yung village eh ginagawa bakasyunan lang. I saw one in cogeo antipolo as in ghost type village. Tapos ngayon buong metro manila magiging holy week ambience.

mag-iingat na ako sa pinopost ko kasi nagkakatotoo. Yung sa seaoil na lang nung winish ko magbagsak presyo gaso eh nagkatotooo parang nagbabasa dito yung may-ari.

[dr. d]

doc bakti ganun yung mga post ko nagkakatotoo. .

alamo kags,
pag mag-post ang isang tao ng napakaraming poste,
darating ang araw, may matatamaan rin siya.

if you shoot from the hip often enough,
you will eventually hit something.

[uls]

Richard Foronda Heyderian

BE CRITICALLY THINKING CITIZENS, NOT MINDLESS SHEEP

To all those who say "let's just follow the government" or "don't politicise a crisis" and "puro kang criticism and kuda", let me SAY THIS TO YOU my friend: We got here BECAUSE of INCOMPETENCE, and that incompetence got here because you blindly SUPPORTED it. Call this whatever you want, but the Philippines is set to become the FIRST in the WORLD -- yes first in the entire world -- to impose large-scale restriction of movement within its CAPITAL FIRST. NO OTHER ASEAN country -- majority poor developing countries like us -- is locking down any major city, especially their capital. And Italy had lockdown on northern Italy and Milan first, giving time to the capital and rest of the country to prepare. So why only the Philippines? Goodness, you elected someone who struggles to give even a single coherent paragraph in a televised address on a national emergency. PITY the COUNTRY not only your lodi. THINK OF THE COUNTRY not your own president and party. And now, we will ALL SUFFER because of you! Yes, because of you! So please lang, before blaming us the CRITICAL thinking citizens, let me remind you:

Almost TWO MONTHS ago, I and many experts publicly warned over and over again: To MINIMIZE RISK -- because it was never fully eliminating risk, but minimising it like Singapore, Hong Kong, Mongolia and elsewhere -- we should impose STRICT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, especially from LOCKDOWN areas in China. BUT NO! You said we are just paranoid and racist, fools! FYI, we had NO mass produced KITS. NO PREPARATION. They even cut the DOH budget in recent years. And no nothing, and yet your beloved leader ALLOWED THOUSANDS of people from most affected areas still come in day after day after day. And some say until today. WHY? POGOS? "love" for the Chinese leaders? Until recently, there were still flights incoming from China, and some reports suggest more. This is NOT RACISM. I hate racism, which is anathema to people of mixed background like me. I love the Chinese People, their ordinary good folks. And I even love more my own people.

This is NOT POLITICS. It's being PATRIOTIC and vigilant about the future of the country. You tried to silence voice of reason two months ago. Now you want to shut down any criticism again, even if the LOCKDOWN is a lockdown that is not a lockdown and a curfew that is not a curfew that is...a TOTAL MESS! They just triggered exodus of THOUSANDS of people in Manila to poorest and least prepared areas by giving more than a day of window into implementing what -- they can't even pinpoint what it is! IF you prefer INCOMPETENCE, wag mo kame idamay. And please lang, F off my page if you don't want facts and sober analysis! I don't need you... we welcome CRITICAL THINKING PINOYS and good folks and conscientious citizens here. I am tried of this nonsense and reckless incompetence endangering millions of Filipinos and affecting billions of dollars in economic activity. We don't deserve this. We don't... as ancient wisdom states, to be ignorant is dangerous, especially when its obstinately wilful and fanatically imposed on others. Pity our country, pity our people....the poorest and most vulnerable who have no savings or protection from this preventable PLAGUE. Take care everyone... May God bless our country in these tough times amid the follies of its leaders. #StayStrongManila [emoji813]️

Sincerely yours,
Chad


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it's because the leadership was dismissing the virus

"it's just the flu"

complacent

naniwala na hindi kakalat ang virus sa pinas kasi mainit

kaya di pinaghandaan

[shadow]

Hinde din. Takot talaga sa China. Ayaw mag travel ban.


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[_Cathy_]

sila kasi ang mas maraming may sakit ng mayaman (lifestyle disease).
heh heh.

I asked this question several times, bakit mostly middle class and up ang infected

I'm really worried kasi si Dr Cutie and my Tita who usually tell me na things will be okay, it can be managed etc. They don't sound that way with this one

[_Cathy_]

Hinde din. Takot talaga sa China. Ayaw mag travel ban.


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walang kwenta lockdown kuno nila if they don't stop international flights

Bakit ang dami pa rin baliw na baliw sa demonyong presidente na yan?

[Verbl Kint]

Hot off the press.

_

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[Ry_Tower]

But would you, either way?


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With the information that the government can have if they were serious about this - remember it all starts from the top - they could have asked for help/ suggestions and gathered information already how to possibly combat this as early as late January.

Jan 20 dito sa tsikot pinag-uusapan na scenarios na pwede kumalat sa MM lalo na at ang daming Chinese tourists at POGO workers na pumupunta dito sila hindi pa nila naisip yun with their gargantuan intellegence fund?

February pa lang nag-increase na kami stocking level sa inventory sa warehouse because we anticipated na yung problem sa raw mats and supply issue which again tsikot even discussed as well. Ang liit lang company namin compared sa government na ang daming best and brightest minds and you are telling us them not planning ahead is excusable? I don't buy that.

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[Little Missy]

Shadow called it

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[Ry_Tower]

Shadow called it

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Just common sense reaction. But hey, sabi ni poon sampalin niya lang eh ayus na. So okay. Sunod na lang si Ketib at Kags sa idol nila diba. Idamay pa tayo.

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[_Cathy_]

Just common sense reaction. But hey, sabi ni poon sampalin niya lang eh ayus na. So okay. Sunod na lang si Ketib at Kags sa idol nila diba. Idamay pa tayo.

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Gusto ko batuhin TV when he thanked the Xi Jinping

Traydor talaga. He has blood on his hands

[c_cube]

Hot off the press.

_

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Wala ng byabyahe na UV nito, lugi na agad. Alangan naman singilin nila ng 3x ang bawat pasahero para maabot yun dapat nakukuha nila sa isang byahe.

1 UV, 14 pax without driver

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[BlancNoir]

Here you go.

What should have been done vs what they have done.

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[kagalingan]

Dr. Raul Destura reports that they are in final phase of validating the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit. It will be ready for commercial use in about 2 weeks. Photograph by Chris Clemente


Meet the Filipino scientist who invented the low-cost COVID-19 testing kits
Amid our panic and terror brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Raul Destura and his team of UP scientists are giving the Filipinos and the rest of world a reason to hope.
Rhia Diomampo-Grana | Mar 14 2020

As soon as news on the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 broke, microbiology and biotechnology expert Dr. Raul Destura knew he was confronted with a tough but important mission for his fellow Filipinos.

“He already knew that this day will happen,” UP Manila Chancellor Dr. Carmencita Padilla reveals at the media briefing on UP’s reponse to COVID-19 held at the Philippine Genome Center in UP Diliman. As early as February, Padilla was taking note of the rising number of COVID-19 cases around the world. “So when UP was summoned at the Senate and was asked what the UP-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) and UP Manila-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) can do, our executive director Dr. Eva Maria C. Cutiongco-dela Paz and our scientist Dr. Raul Destura already informed the Senate that we shall ready the testing kit.”

The SARS-CoV-2 PCR detection kit was developed through the funding from the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD). It took over two weeks of sleepless nights for Dr. Destura and his team of 15 UP scientists to develop it.

As the Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Genome Center, Destura likens himself to being the conductor of a symphony. “Kailangan meron kang idea, meron kang experimental design. Bawat proseso, may team of scientists. This is the part you will do, this is the part he will do. And then we convene—umaga tanghali, gabi, madaling-araw—kasi we lack time!” he says.

Like any scientific study, Dr. Destura says the whole process of developing the kit was very tedious. One simple test clearly was not enough; they had to keep repeating every step of the way, 40 to 60 times, to prove the technology’s sensitivity and specificity. Dr. Destura’s role to the team is to validate their findings, challenge the results, and “give solutions when they’re hitting a wall.”

In the process of developing the kit, putting the acid together was the biggest challenge. “Yung nanduon na lahat ng components. Titimplahin mo kasi lahat ng conditions isa-isa. Aside from that, gagawan mo ngayon ng perturbations yung mga conditions mo. Maapektuhan ba sya pag tumaas ito? Maaapektuhan ba sya pag binawasan mo nito? Lahat yun kailangan mong gawin. Nakakaubos sya ng buhok,” says the doctor, eliciting some laughter from the audience. In the media briefing, Dr. Destura seems to be a mild mannered man, has a cheerful disposition, is well-loved by those around him, and yes, there’s not very much hair on that head anymore.



The GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit will help in the early detection and effective treatment of COVID-19.

Filipino technology

At the same media briefing attended by scientists, academicians, and health experts from UP, PGC, DOST, and UP-PGH, Dr. Destura presented the result of his and his team’s hard work: the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit, which will help in the early detection and effective treatment of COVID-19.

The testing can be done in two ways—via nasopharyngeal brush and throat swab, wherein samples are taken from inside the nose and from the back of the throat. The specimen is placed in a sealed container and sent to the laboratory where it will be examined by the medical technologist.

Dr. Destura explains that like the existing COVID-19 kits, the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit uses the same PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology. But unlike the others that require the test to be done thrice (for a total of about six hours), this version employs a single step multiple detection system, which has a turnaround time of 1 to 2 hours. “Pag tech developer ka, iisipin mo ang sitwasyon ng lugar na mag-aadopt ng tech—kulang sa tao, kapos sa oras,” says the doctor, describing our local healthcare system under the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak. “Yung ibang platform, kailangan mong gawin yung test ng tatlong beses. Ito, ginawa nating isang beses.”

Known for developing low-cost, low-technology driven diagnostic platforms for the control of infectious diseases in the Philippines, Destura made the local GenAmplify as affordable as he can: it will cost only around P1,320 per test, in contrast to the foreign kit which costs around P8,500 per test.

Around 200 GenAmplify kits can be produced in a week, and enough kits are in stock now for around 6,000 tests, with more orders for around 20,000 tests already expected. These are being manufactured and stockpiled by the Manila HealthTek Inc. (MTek Inc.), a private Research & Development company with a robust diagnostic technology pipeline.

But the scientist is asking for a little more patience until they have completed the standard protocols needed in developing the technology. “Hindi puwedeng bara-bara, hindi pwedeng shortcut. Our intention is to protect the public by developing technology. Ano ba ang mga criteria na kailangang sundin? Una, sensitivity at specificity—lahat yan kailangan paulit-ulit mong gagawin,” he stresses.

The Food and Drug Administration has already greenlighted the field validation testing for the kit, which will be done on selected centers representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. He says it will probably take about 2 to 3 weeks to complete the needed sample size to calculate the diagnostic clinical sensibility. “Ito na yung final phase para maging commercialized version na sya,” he says.

The scientist is happy to note that many clinician-infectious disease specialists have volunteered to become side validators of the technology, which will help monitor its behavior in the field. Meanwhile, the genome sequencing technology, which is done at the PGC, can verify the findings of the test. “Pag nakumpleto natin ang data na yan, masasabi nating dumaan ito sa proseso na tinatanggap ng buong mundo,” he notes. “I know we need the testing kit very badly, but we have the moral responsibility to make sure that the technology we’re putting out there is of excellent quality. Pag gawa ng Pinoy, para sa lahat, para sa buong mundo ang kalidad. Kailangan lang natin ng kaunti pang pasensya para lang matapos itong validation. At the end of the day, our main intention is public safety and service to the community.”


According to Dr. Destura, the UP scientists are also currently developing the technology for leptospirosis, schistosomiasis, salmonella, African swine fever, chikungunya, and the Zika virus testing.

More inventions underway

The COVID-19 testing kit is only one in Dr. Destura’s long list of inventions. One of his pioneering works, the “Lab in a Mug” Project, a portable multi-infectious disease device about the size of a mug, generated its first ever spin-off company for the University of the Philippines, the MTek Inc. This technology is being rolled out to 100 primary and secondary hospitals all over the country and was given recognition in the inter-academy medical panel during the World Health Summit in Berlin as Top 20 Young Physician Leader.

Currently, the UP scientists are also developing the technology for leptospirosis, schistosomiasis, and salmonella testing, which hopefully will be finished by end of the year. They are finishing the African swine fever test for veterinary medicine. Also in the pipeline are the tests for chikungunya and the Zika virus, which will likely be completed next year.

Dr. Destura is aware of the importance of his profession, helping to nurture young, innovative, and hardworking scientists. “For me, a good mentor inspires and steers his team to the right direction. Nothing beats a very inspired team. The best part of being the leader is you get to see young minds unfold right in front of you. I believe in my team, kasi kung hindi ako naniniwala sa kanila, bakit pa kami nagki-create ng ganito,” he quips.

Asked if our local scientists are bound to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, he says he’s leaving it to the European teams and that he’s praying for their success. “Hopefully in the future, the Philippines will also have its own vaccine development capacity. The investment for that is humongous—in the billions of dollars. We rely on rich countries to develop those vaccines. But I’m still hoping and praying that someday, we’ll get there,” he says with optimism.

Meet the Filipino scientist who invented the low-cost COVID-19 testing kits | ABS-CBN News

[kagalingan]

*****



Dr. Mediadora Saniel, an infectious diseases specialist and former head of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and Dr. June Lopez, a psychiatrist at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the president of the Balik Kalipay Psychosocial Response Inc., have started a fundraising campaign for the soon-to-be deployed COVID-19 local test kits developed by Dr. Destura and his team. The fund will be used to provide the Protective Personnel Equipment (PPE) for PGH personnel who will be collecting samples, and for poor patients who need financial assistance to avail of the test. Those who wish to help may send their donations to:

The U.P. Medical Foundation, Inc

Bank: BDO, Bocobo-Pedro Gil Branch

Account No: 353-0094-018.

Email address is <upmf1980*gmail.com>

Receipts can be furnished upon request

Photographs by Chris Clemente

Meet the Filipino scientist who invented the low-cost COVID-19 testing kits | ABS-CBN News

[_Cathy_]

Meron na sa Laguna

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[BratPAQ]

Dr. Destura. I have a feeling that's a name that will be remembered in history.

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[BratPAQ]

Lol, this guy. [emoji23]

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