What have you done to Florida? I asked my puzzled sister-in-law who probably thought the COVID vaccine had affected my mind. Well, the news from the United States yesterday was full of the damage that Typhoon Elsa had wrought, and since they named “Elsa”, a name not common in the U.S., I thought she would be flattered. Indeed, they must be running out of names for their calamities and are picking those not very common there.
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Me, I think I would be flattered, on top of my distress for the victims, if a typhoon were named after me. But so far, I have not heard of one, so it must not be a popular name to typhoon identifiers. Anyway, people often curse typhoons, so, perhaps, I should be glad I have no “tocaya” among them. For our readers abroad, who are neither Tagalog nor Ilonggo speaking, “tocayo” and “tocaya” refer to people with the same name as yours.
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Meanwhile, have you been fully vaccinated against this COVID ailment that has now reached pandemic status? If you still haven’t undergone both doses, don’t hesitate for a minute, go and get yourself “shot”, unless you want to experience the symptoms and effects of this novelty in the medical lingo. Why is it that many are said to still be afraid or hesitating to undergo it? And the newest variant called “Delta” is said to be the most dangerous of viruses.
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The World Health Organization has announced that the Philippine needs to vaccinate no less than 85 percent of its population, especially now that variants of the COVID have been identified. Will that 85 percent make up what has been identified as “herd community”? What about our city and our province, can they vouch that we have accomplished that much in their vaccination drives? I hope they will regularly release the statistics on their vaccination efforts, so we will know, and be assured if we find that we have attained the number that could assure us of the conquest of this virus.
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For the first time yesterday, I went out for a not-so-important purpose. I went to a beauty parlor to have my shaggy looks trimmed as they were getting bothersome already. And I was surprised to note that it was just “business as usual” there, with a lot of customers having their beautification problems attended to. Yes, everyone was wearing masks, but I was really surprised at the very casual attitude everyone exhibited. It was as if there were no unfamiliar and novel virus going around at all. Maybe it is true that if you don’t mind it, it won’t hit you?
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For a long time now, I think ever since COVID showed itself, we have always been hearing reports on medical progress and steps being taken against this pandemic from the second-in-command of the Health Department, Dr. Rosario Vergeire. Not that she is not articulate and knowledgeable, because she can really put things across, but what about her boss, the Health Department Secretary himself? Has he been stricken by the virus? If he has, and has survived it, he should be the best adviser to our people regarding this pandemic. Just wondering why.
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En garde! Have you heard that another variant of the COVID has been identified in Peru? It has been given the name of Lambda, and it is the variant medical agencies are struggling with now. But the United Kingdom must have found its fight against it successful, because it is supposed to end COVID restrictions today, July 9. Aren’t they sharing their secrets with us? What have they discovered or decided on to believe that setting a deadline will really stop it? Do share your strategies with us other sufferers please!
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What a freak accident! Remember that Army plane that crashed in Jolo recently where 39 were originally reported as killed, with the number raised to 50 later? Seems there was something that could be considered “miraculous” when it was found out that a soldier who leaped out of the falling aircraft, lived to tell his story! And he is luckier than those found to have been selling the vaccines given to our country for free and supposedly to be administered to those who cannot afford to buy them!*
