If symptoms persist…

As COVID-19 cases surge it is interesting to know that there is also a rise in cases of “fake news” and half-truths that amount to actual lies spread via community transmission, particularly on Viber. The most recent one that I’ve received comes in a mixed language message purportedly from the Beijing Vaccine Prevention Center “advising” people with specific health conditions or co-morbidities not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The message that has been crafted to communicate as a message of concern would certainly interest people, particularly those with one or many of the specified ailments listed in the hoax.

Yes, it’s a hoax. The fact that it claims to be from the Beijing Vaccine Prevention Center is by itself a dead giveaway. There is no such thing or office unless it’s an underground group of anti-vaccers bent on scaring a specific population from being vaccinated. Just to put a little science and expertise on the matter, we invited Dr. Ted Herbosa, a special adviser to the IATF on health concerns, to join us on our TV show AGENDA (Cignal TV) and read the different medical conditions that purportedly could cause complications when combined with vaccination for COVID-19. Among them were severe diabetes, hypertension, stroke, malignant tumors, coronary by-pass, Hepatitis -B, major surgery, pregnant women, etc etc. Dr. Herbosa immediately labeled the fictitious advisory as based on half lies mixed with medicine and intent on misinforming people.

Most if not all such diseases or co-morbidities are by themselves already health issues, but every patient or individual presents different degrees of illness or complications. We established in our discussion that vaccinations in general do not cause any complications except in severely ill or severely immuno-compromised individuals such as the elderly. While listening to Dr. Herbosa, I remembered that I am a Hepa-B patient of 30 years and that I have had both the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine. I have had no complications. Dr. Herbosa, on the other hand, pointed out that a number of medical frontliners, doctors in particular, who are in the 60 to 65 years of age/senior citizen bracket have had themselves immunized with Sinovac vaccine with no reported complications.

On the surface, most of us would probably just dismiss or swipe out such messages at first glance or as a good first step not share it, but being a journalist my training is to figure out the material and determine what social or public impact it may have if left unchecked. Not passing the Viber message is a good first step, but it would be beneficial to us individually and to our community eventually if fake news is replaced or challenged with facts and authority. In addition we may actually learn or become better informed by doing the research or asking for professional advice.

For his part, Dr. Herbosa gave the audience a prescription that many of us know so well but have taken for granted through the years… “If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.” Google is not a doctor, neither is social media. It’s today’s dictionary on steroids but the information therein “could be dangerous to your health if read or used wrong.” Telemedicine requires the same effort as scanning the internet or social media, the only difference is that your doctor knows you, has your file and knows your medical history. Consult your doctor.

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Here are some of my latest discoveries after setting up a small studio in our front yard in Lipa, Batangas which any of you might want to remember if you decide to do a DIY studio in this age of digital communications and commerce:

Pay attention to where the sun rises and where the sun sets. It’s ironic that for most farmers this is already almost genetically imbedded in their day-to-day work but I forgot about it in my excitement and paid the price. Having windows on multiple sides for better lighting does not always work.

On the first day I got washed out by sunrise and the different lighting confused the camera. So we had to place a tarp a short distance in front of the window. Days later, I had a mid-afternoon Facebook Live program for our Alagang BMeg Facebook live program and I had to sit it out as the slowly descending sun fried my face!

Having a window to show the garden background may seem like a cool idea, but the camera did not function as simply as it used to. We had to use Aperture priority and make sure that I was centered for the camera to focus sharply. I also discovered that using strong white light is not good for color tone in a well-lit natural setting. What works indoors don’t always work with an outdoor background.

If you want minimal ambient sound, make sure that your wood panels and windows are properly sealed with some rubberized or elastomeric sealant. We did a sound test without the sealant versus with sealant and the reduction was very obvious. You can reduce sound to a point but not when there are dogs deciding to lie down outside the studio waiting for you to finish the show so they can get your attention.

Last but not the least, if you happen to be someone who needs to stay on air daily, I strongly suggest that you coordinate or check the power company in your area regarding brown-out schedules and have a standby generator regularly prepped. In spite of our preparations, it is a day I fear and pray happens only during weekends!

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