The Warrior inside Me

Nobody saw this coming.

I once remembered it was March of 2020, and it was just a typical day. My classmates and I rushed to do
some assignments. Then after that, we got to enjoy and celebrate the birthday of one of our classmates,
and then we got to receive news from our teacher that there would be a two weeks break. Just like an
average student would react, we freaked out and enjoyed it because, surprise, we got a break from a
long week of finals. We got to enjoy and relax until the citizens were mandated never to leave their
homes. The one-time enjoyment turns into one of the darkest times of my life.

I was seeing my family go through difficult times while unsure of what to do is difficult. Given how
severely the COVID-19 pandemic had affected our nation, eating three meals daily was considered a
luxury. The only thing we had against the epidemic at that time was prayer, which was also our only
weapon of last resort.

For an extrovert like me, being confined within your doors is complicated. If it weren't for this pandemic,
I would have had more time to talk, enjoy being a teenager at the time, and connect with my friends.
Instead, I would have had more time to sob and break down at realizing that this wasn't the Kendra I
used to know. Fortunately, social media enables me to connect with my friends on a social level, but
developing a physical link with a buddy is hugely different.

In addition, I was worried about my academic achievement even though I was a lazy student and needed
a break from school. I was able to stress that the epidemic would never stop and that I wouldn't be able
to finish school and accomplish my aspirations. However, thanks to DEPED, who implemented distance
learning, we students were able to cope and learn academically during those trying times.

My psyche was also sabotaged, in addition to my immune system. I would be able to participate in
online learning, but my brain is the issue. I'm so upset because I sometimes don't care if I grasp the
courses; I copy and look up the solutions online to meet deadlines. I truly needed a teacher who could
teach and thoroughly explain the material to me. Still, thanks to YouTube and my understanding
classmates who helped me understand the material, I was able to manage and was allowed to receive
outstanding scores.

To end this, I will tell you my realizations. It's up to us whether we want to continue wallowing in
agonizing solitude or go forward with life throughout that arduous two-year journey. Life's challenges
are outside our control, but how they affect us is. There is always a way if there is a will. You recently
discovered your hidden passion. I'm happy I did. I'm proud of myself for making it this far; I've endured
for two years, and I'll be there when it's all finished.
SCI TECH

The Promise of mRNA Vaccines

(scidev.net_Fiona Broom)

All eyes are on mRNA as clinical trials get underway for vaccines against the ‘Big Three’ infectious
diseases. 

mRNA vaccine technology is a field full of promise – as well as unanswered questions

– for communities living with the burden of the world’s most deadly
infectious diseases.

Despite appearances, mRNA technology is not new. But ever since mRNA vaccines
burst onto the global scene to take on COVID-19, a wealth of possibilities has opened
up as research teams explore ways to harness mRNA technology to tackle other
global health concerns.

The ‘Big Three’ infectious diseases

Tuberculosis, malaria and HIV are known as the ‘Big Three’ infectious diseases: they

are the deadliest communicable diseases in the world. Together, they killed more
than 2.8 million people in 2020, according to World Health Organization (WHO)
figures. Initial data suggests there were 1.8 million COVID-19 deaths in 2020,
although the WHO estimates the number could be “at least” 3 million.

Beyond the deaths caused by the Big Three, almost 290 million people were living
with HIV, malaria or TB in 2020. These conditions are known as diseases of poverty.
They disproportionately affect developing countries, and they are both a result of
and a cause of poverty.

mRNA technology has been in development since the 1960s, but it was proven
responsive when SARS-CoV-2 hit the world. Its success in combatting COVID-19 has
resulted in renewed interest in developing the technology for other diseases.

In a nutshell, mRNAs are messenger ribonucleic acids that elicit an immune response
from cells before degrading. They work by introducing a sequence that is coded for a
disease-specific antigen – a substance that causes the body to make antibodies
against it; once this antigen is produced within the body, the immune system can
recognise it and get ready to fight the real virus, bacteria or parasite.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, exploration into mRNA vaccines for a range of
diseases had begun, including Ebola, Zika and rabies, as well as cancers and
influenza.

Interest in mRNA technology has exploded since it entered the mainstream during
the COVID-19 pandemic. The full text of one 2020 review of mRNA technology from
researchers in Shanghai and Beijing has been viewed around 35,000 times and has
more than 40 citations, giving it a high impact factor in the world of scientific
literature.

mRNA vaccines appear promising because of the speed with which they can be
developed and produced, and their flexibility and adaptability to variants. The US
pharmaceutical company Moderna’s mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 began
clinical trials 63 days after the publication of the virus’ genome. By comparison, the
Gardasil vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) – which uses recombinant DNA
technology – took 15 years to be approved for use, in 2006.

In the first months of 2022 there was a flurry of activity surrounding mRNA
technology transfer and development, with the WHO announcing additional
locations for its mRNA vaccine technology transfer hubs, and German biotechnology
company BioNTech designating sites for new production facilities in Africa.

Amid these announcements, global health leaders and scientists pointed out, time
and again, the potential for mRNA to take on the Big Three diseases, as well as non-
communicable health burdens such as cancer.

And clinical trials have already begun, or are expected to begin this year, for mRNA
vaccine candidates for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.

But scientists are tempering their optimism with caution, as reaching the clinical trial
stage does not always guarantee a vaccine candidate will be proven safe and
effective. And global health advocates say that funding for vaccine research and
development, and an ongoing focus on technology transfer and knowledge
strengthening in the global South.
Talk to people you trust. Contact your friends and family.

Stay at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t use cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs to cope with your emotions.

If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker, social worker, similar professional or another trusted
person in your community.

Have a plan where to go and seek for physical and mental, psychosocial needs, if necessary.

Get true facts about your risk and how to take precautions from credible sources.

Decrease the time you and your family spending watching and listening to upsetting media coverage.

Draw on skills that you have used in the past during difficult times to manage your emotions during this
outbreak.