Three days ago, I tested strongly positive for COVID-19. It’s my second encounter with the virus, and my immune system cells already had some good training in sparring with the virus the first time around in January 2021.

My symptoms now are a far cry from what I felt 20 months ago. I was not only “low-batt” then, I was “dead-batt,” conked out, as I could not even lift my arm to get the glass of water on my side table to moisten my parched throat.

This time around, it’s still bothersome but, thankfully, a lot milder. My symptoms in this version two are not the usual type. I have no fever, cough or colds. But I had intermittent dizziness in the first two days, which I thought was due to vertigo. I also felt low-batt, which I readily attributed to my lack of sleep the night before. I also saw purplish and bright silver spots which waned and disappeared after blinking a few times.

The radiculating nerve pains which made by body jerk were very much like in my first COVID.

Coming of age

My first test was nonconclusive so I had it repeated the following day. Lo and behold, the two bold lines promptly appeared within 10 seconds, somehow indicating strong positivity.

Since my nerve pains were a clear copy of the ones I had in my first COVID episode, I already had a high index of suspicion it was the same virus, but a new variant. I tripled my dose of vitamins C and D3, zinc and virgin coconut oil, and increased my dose of pure melatonin 3 milligrams (Sleepwell) to 10 capsules four times daily. I also started taking ivermectin 15 mg thrice daily, and Exflem (N-acetyl cysteine), which is also antiviral, twice daily.

In 24 hours, I was 80-percent improved and now, after three days, I feel practically 100-percent normal. I checked again but my rapid antigen test was still positive. There are some things you just can’t rush. I’ll wait another two days and recheck. If it’s already negative and I remain asymptomatic, I can proceed with my travel to Athens for an important talk. If still positive, I’ll just deliver the talk virtually.

Dealing with COVID-19 properly has indeed come of age. It was not like before when we were clutching at straws, confused at what to do should we get a positive result. Now, we can do the tests quickly by ourselves in the comfort and privacy of our homes, and we know the results within minutes so we and our physicians can decide what to do next. No more long hours in the hospital emergency room or, if it’s full, waiting in the parking area to wait for the verdict—COVID or not COVID.

Early treatment remains the key. Even if the symptoms are atypical as in my case now, one should have a high index of suspicion, and any symptom of being “unwell” must be suspect for the SARS CoV-2.

Since there are various options that may be considered in the treatment of COVID-19, there must not be any effort at curtailing the physician’s and patient’s rights to discuss these options freely so both the physician and patient can arrive at the right decision on how best to manage the patient’s case.

We are seriously bothered by a pending bill awaiting the final signature of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Known as Assembly Bill No. 2098, it penalizes physicians who freely discuss the various options with his COVID-19 patients, other than what is recommended by the state’s health officials. For example, if a physician discusses alternative options like ivermectin, melatonin, lactoferrin and other immune system-boosting supplements, this may be labeled as misinformation for which the physician could lose his or her license. It’s quite unfortunate that this bill seems to be gaining traction, and in fact only requires the final OK of the California governor.

If it’s approved in California, the rest of the United States may follow suit and in no time at all, we should be facing the same problem here. As the saying goes, “When the United States sneezes, the Philippines usually catches the virus fast!”

Dr. Marivic Villa, our fighting-est Florida-based advocate, who currently leads the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC PH), is rallying the local troops to express protest against the bill.

She’s proposing that local doctors, nurses and allied health professionals do short one- to three-minute videos telling Newsom emphatically to veto AB 2098. (They may email these videos to [email protected], CC: [email protected].)

Eliminating informed consent

This bill is literally castrating the physician, who cannot advise his or her patients on all the options that may be taken, including the pros and cons for it. This is blatantly misguided misinformation regulation. Discussing the risks and benefits of vaccination in children may already violate the law if it’s enacted. Whatever happened to “informed consent”? This bill will make it obsolete.

Here is the message which Marivic, CDC PH, and American and global advocates are conveying to the world:

“Stop medical censorship!

“We are facing a grave threat! The California government is seeking to create a medical censorship law, AB 2098, that would control conversations between doctors and patients and interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. If this bill is passed, it would eliminate informed consent relating to our medical decisions, potentially cause misdiagnoses of our medical conditions and severely limit our treatment options. This removal of free speech is unconstitutional and threatens our health and freedom. Who do you trust with your health, your doctor or government officials? One-size-fits-all medicine as law ignores you as an individual and takes away the right for your doctor to treat you as one. Imagine your doctor losing his/her license for having an honest discussion with you!

“Ask your doctor to consider what the future of medicine looks like when open discussion is banned.

“Gavin Newsom has AB 2098 on his desk and we are asking him to veto this bill to save medicine as we know it. California often leads America, and America leads the world. It’s up to us to stop all forms of medical tyranny where we see it, before it spreads!

“Our team is collaborating with medical freedom groups nationwide to alert the public that medical censorship is sweeping the country. Over the last two years, media companies have censored doctors for daring to speak about effective COVID-19 treatments, the lack of safety and efficacy of masks, and grave concerns over the safety and efficacy of the shots. Now this bill will try to force into law the censorship of what your doctor can discuss with you during what is supposed to be a private medical exam and limit his/her treatment options. Gavin Newsom needs to be told that this is not OK. Medical censorship puts us all at risk!”