The Covid-19 Scare
Manila Bulletin|March 27, 2020
From a cruise in South America, this LA-based Filipino health professional went home with a lingering cough, shortness of breath, diffiulty in breathing, and body pains—but it proved a challenge for her to qualify for a Covid-19 test
Finnette Castaneda
The Covid-19 Scare

My husband and I were off to South Amer peaks and Patagonian glaciers, of 180degree waterfalls and high seas, of tango and world-class steaks! We were about to embark on this bucket-list destination through Princess Cruises, a favorite of ours.

20-Second Handwashing Is A Way of Life

We were excited yet nervous. Half a world away in Asia is a rising threat of this new SARS-like virus killing some who acquired it. Another Princess cruise was just quarantined off the shore of Japan.

I'm a health professional and 20second handwashing is a way of life for me. Wiping down my space came naturally with hospital-grade Saniwipes. I didn’t wear a mask though at the airport or on the plane. I had a lot of excuses for not wearing one, even if I brought protective gear and a huge bottle of vitamin C in my purse.

Two people were coughing next to me during my long flights to Buenos Aires in Argentina. My eyes rolled but I still did not wear a mask. South America is so far away and we were sure that the virus could not reach that far.

We hiked for miles in 95 degree F weather in Iguazu Falls carrying two-liter water bottles to quench our dehydrated bodies. The sight of rushing waterfalls all around us in all their glory made all the torture on our bodies worth it.

Travel History

A few days later, in Puerto Madryn, we drove for a total of six hours to visit Punta Tombo National Park. I could barely walk in the cold, dusty, windy, and rainy 50 degree F weather because I was freezing, having only used a raincoat! The weather information was inaccurate, plus I started feeling the weather change so horribly affecting my entire being. I did not even appreciate the Magellanic penguins walking up to us. There were half a million of them there!

Esta historia es de la edición March 27, 2020 de Manila Bulletin.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 27, 2020 de Manila Bulletin.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MANILA BULLETINVer todo
Taking care of older persons is the collective concern of the citizenry
Manila Bulletin

Taking care of older persons is the collective concern of the citizenry

The International Day of Older Persons is observed on Oct. 1 each year.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 1, 2021
Promoting safe driving in the new normal
Manila Bulletin

Promoting safe driving in the new normal

Ford Driving Skills for Life

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 1, 2021
ON MANNY PACQUIAO - You're the greatest – Roach
Manila Bulletin

ON MANNY PACQUIAO - You're the greatest – Roach

From one legend to another.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 1, 2021
NAT'L BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION - PAY CUTS FOR NO VAX PLAYERS
Manila Bulletin

NAT'L BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION - PAY CUTS FOR NO VAX PLAYERS

NBA poises crackdown on those who refuse to get vaccinated

time-read
1 min  |
October 1, 2021
Duterte renews commitment to infra dev't
Manila Bulletin

Duterte renews commitment to infra dev't

With only months left in his term, President Duterte reassured the public that his administration remains committed to its promise of infrastructure development aimed at making the Philippines a progressive nation.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 1, 2021
Sustain Our Teachers' Enthusiasm; Enable Young Learners To Hurdle The Learning Crisis
Manila Bulletin

Sustain Our Teachers' Enthusiasm; Enable Young Learners To Hurdle The Learning Crisis

For 10 years now, the period from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 of every year has been observed as National Teachers Month (NTM), by virtue of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Proclamation No. 242. The observance culminates on Oct. 5 that, by virtue of Republic Act 10743, is observed as World Teachers Day (WTD) and National Teachers Day (NTD) pursuant to a UNESCO mandate.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 30, 2021
Love knows no borders
Manila Bulletin

Love knows no borders

Pangasinense couple weds at checkpoint

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 30, 2021
The Next Election Is No Waste Of Time
Manila Bulletin

The Next Election Is No Waste Of Time

An appeal to the young who can influence the outcome of the upcoming elections

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 29, 2021
US Olympian Biles Says She Should've Quit Earlier
Manila Bulletin

US Olympian Biles Says She Should've Quit Earlier

Gymnastics

time-read
1 min  |
September 29, 2021
Drones And Jets: China Shows Off New Air Power
Manila Bulletin

Drones And Jets: China Shows Off New Air Power

ZHUHAI, China (AFP) — China on Tuesday showed off its increasingly sophisticated airpower including surveillance drones and jets able to jam hostile electronic equipment, with an eye on disputed territories from Taiwan to the South China Sea and rivalry with the United States.

time-read
1 min  |
September 29, 2021