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Solon offers to mediate between gov’t, BPO firms on mandatory on-site work

INDUSTRY.GOV.PH

A LEGISLATOR is planning to meet this month with business process outsourcing (BPO) firms and tax officials to assist in forging a compromise over the Fiscal Incentives Review Board’s (FIRB) recent order to stop work-from-home arrangements by April.

“I think the compromise is, okay, on-site work is back, but arrangements can be made for those who went home to the provinces, are immunocompromised, or have special conditions that prevent them from working on-site,” Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement on Friday.

“I want unified guidelines from the FIRB, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) about what arrangements can be made.”

Mr. Salceda said he also wants to gauge the tax leakage that the FIRB is concerned about.

“Some BPO firms may be saving a lot of money from not having to rent spaces or pay utilities,” Mr. Salceda said. “And that could be skewing the cost-benefit analysis for tax incentives, meaning we are getting less economic activities for the same tax perks.”

Nonetheless, BPO companies, he said, could adopt internal arrangements since DoLE has said workers cannot be fired for not reporting on-site if they are able to deliver output.

He also expressed support to the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) proposal of having a four-day work week such that BPO employees could work on-site for four days and work from home on other days.

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the government issued a policy that allows BPO companies to get tax incentives even if 90% of their employees are working from home. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan

Robredo open to nuclear power source but rejects Bataan plant revival

VP LENI MEDIA BUREAU

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo is open to the adoption of nuclear energy as a power source for the Philippines, but rejected the reopening the mothballed 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), citing safety concerns.

“We will never revive it because it was not even continued in the first place due to several reasons, so we will not revive its operations ever,” Ms. Robredo told the media after the first presidential debate hosted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Saturday night.

Discussions on the possibility of reopening the decommissioned $2.2-billion BNPP recently emerged after President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on Feb. 28 an executive order allowing the inclusion of nuclear power into the country’s energy mix as the government moves to abandon coal.

Ms. Robredo said if she wins in the May 9 elections, she will allow the construction of nuclear power plants that are backed by a thorough safety study.

The vice president, however, stressed that she would push more for renewable energy sources in line with the country’s commitment to curb carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

“And for me, we should be moving towards renewable energy sources already since we have committed to the COP26 that by 2050, we will be carbon neutral,” she said.

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow in October last year wherein the Philippines was one of the 40 countries that endorsed the move to veer away from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.

In 2020, the Philippines’ power mix consisted of 57% coal, 21% renewable energy, 19% natural gas, and 2% oil-based.

“Admittedly, nuclear power is cleaner compared with fossil fuel, it is contentious especially because a lot of people are scared for its safety. That’s our main concern,” Ms. Robredo said.

Attempts to reopen the BNPP during previous administrations to address power supply issues were hampered by safety concerns, specifically its location which is said to be along an active fault line and flawed design on safe disposal of highly radioactive nuclear wastes.

Energy Undersecretary Gerardo D. Erguiza, Jr. earlier said if allowed by the succeeding administration, the country can build a traditional nuclear power plant as early as 2027. Other nuclear power plants with small modular reactors, which are being eyed for off-grid areas, can be built as soon as the regulatory framework is in place.

The late President Corazon C. Aquino ordered the shut down of the BNPP in 1986, two years after it was completed, due to safety and corruption issues during its construction under the administration of the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.

Mr. Marcos’ only son and namesake Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is running for president in the coming elections. — Marielle C. Lucenio

Senator says online cockfighting brings more social harm than financial good

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE SOCIAL costs of online cockfighting outweigh its revenue gains, said an opposition senator on Sunday, calling out the President’s refusal to order a stop in operations.

“There is no reason to allow e-sabong (electronic sabong, the Filipino word for cockfighting) to continue to operate if it brings more harm than good. The government should not be prioritizing the huge profits from gambling. Instead, what should be explained to people is its negative effects, especially to the youth,” Senator Leila M. de Lima said in a mix of English and Filipino in a statement.

“We can always recover economic losses by other means or sources, but the social costs and harm done to our youth’s psyche are irreversible,” she added.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte last week rejected calls to suspend online cockfighting operations in the country, saying the popular game is a major source of income for the government.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., which regulates the online game, collected about P3.69 billion from the operations of eight e-sabong licensees from April to December last year, according to the agency’s chair, Andrea D. Domingo

Ms. De Lima argued that the legalization of gambling and e-sabong has only strengthened the network of gambling lords and their influence over national and local politics, and has been linked to prostitution, human trafficking, money laundering, and kidnapping, among other crimes.

“The government’s revenue can never match a ruined future, especially for the youth,” she said. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Biodiversity park to rise in Quezon City

BMB.GOV.PH

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Quezon City government and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) for the development of an urban biodiversity park in New Manila, Quezon City.

“While our focus is largely directed at managing natural ecosystems through the establishment of protected areas, we also need to address the importance of enhancing our urban ecosystems to be able to provide a quality and livable environment for urban dwellers,” DENR Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna said in a statement.

The project will develop and sustainably manage Madison Park, which will be renamed Gabay Kalikasan Park.

It also intends to “encourage the business sector’s support in creating green urban communities at the city and barangay or village level.”

The park is under the DENR’s Urban Biodiversity Program, which seeks to promote urban biodiversity and green spaces, ensure ecological integrity and clean and healthy environment.

The DENR aims to increase green spaces by 2028 in the highly-urbanized cities of Quezon, Caloocan and Manila in the capital region, Cebu in central Philippines, and Davao in the southern island of Mindanao. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Solon seeks full data on Chinese intrusions for legislative considerations

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD PHOTO

A HOUSE representative has called on maritime authorities to provide full information on Chinese intrusions in recent years to help Congress draft legislation that will strengthen the country’s protection of its territory and resources.

“I ask the Navy, Coast Guard, and PNP (Philippine National Police) Maritime Group to fully disclose to the Congress the number of Chinese incursions into Philippine territorial waters and what type of incursions were made so that we can also craft policies and propose actions on how to deal with these issues,” Pwersa ng Bayang Atleta (PBA) Rep. Jericho Jonas B. Nograles said in a statement.

Executive Director Myca Magnolia M. Fischer of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs reported to the Senate in December that the Philippines has filed 241 diplomatic protests against China since 2016, but Beijing had only responded to 152 protests. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan

Prompted by pandemic, youngest province opens 100-bed hospital

BW FILE PHOTO/ MAYA M. PADILLO

DAVAO OCCIDENTAL, the country’s newest province that was formally instituted in 2016, recently opened a 100-bed hospital that will be developed into a level 3 facility capable of full medical services.   

This is a “dream come true” for the province, said Davao Occidental Rep. Lorna Bautista-Bandigan during last week’s launching ceremony.

Ms. Bandigan authored the bill for the establishment of the hospital. The proposal was signed into law in June 2021 as part of measures to boost the country’s healthcare system.

She said the Davao Occidental General Hospital, which sits on a property donated by the Bautistas, the dominant political clan in the province, now has several equipment for surgical operations and x-ray aside from the patient beds.

It received an initial budget of P100 million and has an additional P219 million allocation this year for another building that will be partly used as a rehabilitation center. The Office of the President provided an P80-million financial assistance for the purchase of medical equipment.

The hospital located in the provincial capital Malita is being positioned as a an alternative and complementary healthcare facility to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, which is 133.5 kilometers away or about a three-hour drive.

Davao Occidental, which used to be part of Davao del Sur province, was created in 2013. It has a population of just over 317,000. Its residents elected their first set of officials in 2016. — Maya M. Padillo

Wizards beat Lakers as LeBron James nabs 2nd on NBA scoring list

KRISTAPS Porzingis scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead seven players in double figures as the Washington Wizards rallied to snap a six-game losing streak, beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 127-119 on Saturday.

The win overshadowed a monumental night for Los Angeles star LeBron James, who had 38 points and passed Karl Malone for second on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Washington trailed by as many as 16 before taking its first lead of the game at 107-106 on Mr. Porzingis’ three-point play with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter.

Mr. James scored with 2:33 left to put the Lakers ahead 116-115 before Deni Avdija’s 3-pointer with 1:02 left capped a 7-0 run and gave the Wizards a 122-116 lead.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope posted 18 points and 10 rebounds against his former team while Avdija and Daniel Gafford added 17 points apiece for Washington, which outscored the Lakers 34-20 in the fourth quarter. Tomas Satoransky had a season-high 16 points, Corey Kispert added 13 and Rui Hachimura had 10.

Russell Westbrook tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles, which has lost 12 of its last 13 road games. Malik Monk scored 17 points, Carmelo Anthony added 13 and Stanley Johnson had 12.

The Lakers took control early and led 36-26 after shooting 65.2 percent in the first quarter.

Mr. James scored on a cutting layup with 5:20 left in the second quarter to move past Malone with 36,930 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sits atop the league’s all-time scoring list at 38,387 points.

Mr. James scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the first half for the Lakers, who held a 67-58 advantage at the break.

The Lakers led by 14 with 2:37 left in the third quarter before the Wizards closed the quarter on a 10-2 run. Satoransky’s trey at the buzzer cut the gap to 99-93 entering the final quarter.

Mr. James finished with 10 rebounds and six assists while shooting 16 of 29 from the field and 4 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Mr. Hachimura made his first start of the season in place of Kyle Kuzma, who sat out with a right knee injury. — Reuters

Chelsea stroll past Middlesbrough into FA Cup semis

MIDDLESBROUGH, England — Chelsea continued to make light of their off-pitch turmoil with another impressive display on it as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

First-half goals by Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech knocked the stuffing out of second-tier Middlesbrough who had eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in previous rounds.

Lukaku tapped in Mason Mount’s low cross after 15 minutes before Ziyech fired home 16 minutes later.

Middlesbrough were given raucous support inside the Riverside Stadium but never really looked capable of troubling the visitors who were always in control.

Chelsea, the object of several buyout bids, are operating under a special licence from the British government after Russian owner Roman Abramovich was hit with sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Only a few hundred Chelsea fans were inside the stadium – a consequence of restrictions on them selling tickets – but they could at least celebrate their team reaching the semis for the fifth time in six seasons.

Since Abramovich announced that he was putting the European champions up for sale on March 2 after 19 trophy-laden years, it has been very much business as usual on the pitch.

They have won all six fixtures since, the latest win coming the day after a deadline for bids to buy the club.

Despite the distractions, manager Thomas Tuchel has remained focused on winning games, and the performance of his players on Saturday was clinical.

“We were very focused and very serious. We showed the quality at decisive moments,” the German said.

“The effort was huge and we never let them get a foot into the door after the two early goals. It was a deserved win.”

“Nothing we can do will change the situation and we accept that it’s not in our hands, but what is in our hands is setting an example and staying focused.”

Chelsea had attracted criticism in midweek for asking for the match to be played without fans to ensure “sporting integrity” in light of them not being able to sell tickets.

They later retracted that request and the Riverside was rocking before kickoff.

But when Mount was allowed to advance down the left and then delivered a slide rule cross to allow Lukaku to tap home, the odds always looked stacked against Boro.

When Ziyech’s shot then flew past Middlesbrough keeper Joe Lumley the hosts had a mountain to climb.

Chelsea could have added to their lead with Lukaku denied by a goalline clearance and Lumley doing well to keep out Timo Werner’s late effort, while Boro rarely had a sniff of a chance.

It was Boro’s first home defeat in 10 games in all competitions, and their focus will now return to trying to make the promotion play-offs.

For Chelsea, they are still chasing silverware on two fronts after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in midweek.

“We really have that winning mentality within the group. Any competition, any game, we want to win, and we want to keep that going,” Mount said. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks but for us, as a team, we’re just focused and ready to play.” — Reuters

Davis Riley owns 2-shot lead at Valspar Championship

PGA TOUR rookie Davis Riley shot a blazing 62 on Saturday to vault to the top of the leaderboard Saturday owning the 54-hole scoring record at the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla.

Davis, 25, sits at 18-under-par 195, holding a two-shot lead over Matthew NeSmith, who shot 69 one day after matching the Valspar single-round mark with a 61 Friday. Davis carded nine birdies en route to a bogey-free round at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course.

Justin Thomas, on the strength of a third consecutive 66, and defending champion Sam Burns (67) sit three shots back at 15 under.

Canadian Adam Hadwin (70) is solo fifth at 13 under, five shots back.

Riley had never held a tournament lead after any round until Saturday, and his round was three stokes better than his previous career best of 65 at the Sony Open in January.

“I struggled a little bit with my approach play. I wasn’t as clean as I would like to the first two days, but thankfully the putter was there,” Riley said afterward. “And that’s what I’ve been telling myself is just give myself (a) look. I feel really comfortable with the putter on these greens and if you just get me on the greens, I have a chance.”

NeSmith had established a new tournament record through 36 holes after his blistering 61 in the second round Friday. He was still in command and atop the leaderboard by four shots midway through Saturday, when his round was marred by the first of four bogeys on the back nine at the par-4 10th hole.

“Today was a completely new day and we were trying to put one foot in front of the other one and that was the entire goal of today,” NeSmith said. “I think we accomplished that pretty well and I’m excited to try and do the same thing tomorrow.” — Reuters

Spot in play-in tourney

I’m the aftermath of a rare victory away from the Crypto.com Arena, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel remained sufficiently grounded to note in his presser that top dog LeBron James may well be sitting out the next leg of the road trip. After all, the 37-year-old stalwart had just played 45 minutes in an overtime game, and could use the time off to rest sore knees. He was being cautious, of course; were the choice purely his, he would most certainly be glad to send out the only consistent offensive threat in his roster. That said, he knew to brace himself for the worst.

As things turned out, Mr. James did show up for work. Perhaps he was sufficiently buoyed by the unexpected victory to punch in; the Lakers hadn’t won in Canada in seven years, and yet managed to produce the favorable outcome on the strength of resolve and no small measure of good fortune. No doubt, he was likewise enjoined to suit up in light of the circumstances. The Wizards — against whom he put up a resounding 56 the last time they met — were on tap, and how better to overtake former iron man Karl Malone for the Number Two spot in career points than to face one of the worst defenses in the National Basketball Association. The opportunity looked too good to pass up.

Indeed, Mr. James went on to secure yet another place in hoops history with his 20th and 21st points off a layup midway through the second quarter of the contest. In retrospect, there was no better time to do so; the Wizards had, by then, turned what looked to be a rout into a battle, scoring eight straight markers to pull within five. And it wasn’t as if he went out of his way to pad his stats; he put up his numbers via an extremely efficient nine-of-14 clip to that point. He didn’t need to force-feed himself, of course; there was an air of inevitability to his ascent in the record books.

Mr. James would go on to score 17 more points, and, given the way the set-to evolved in the second half, the Lakers certainly needed them. That they would require him to put up otherworldly figures on the board speaks volumes of their relative lack of competitiveness. The season wasn’t supposed to unfurl this way, with him burning rubber for extended minutes and leaving nothing in the tank merely to keep their spot in the play-in tournament. And it seemed to grate at him in recent memory; the side stares and finger pointing even escalated into an outright scolding caught by broadcast microphones in a blowout loss earlier in the week.

Significantly, Mr. James was singing another tune after the Lakers beat the Raptors the other day. Not coincidentally, these were the very same Raptors that blew them out of the court earlier in the week, leading to his first-quarter outburst. The main difference in his disposition: the effort shown by those around him — a not inconsiderable matter in the face of his own lack thereof on occasion. Nonetheless, he talked about enjoying the game, of being thankful of his place in the sport, regardless of final scores. In the midst of the uncommon reason to celebrate the disconnect seemed to be lost on him.

To be sure, Mr. James is both right and wrong. Whatever joy that can be had from going for triumph is sucked out by listless play, and he’s enraged when he sees the Lakers’ slumped shoulders. The flipside is that he has himself displayed errant body language, and the negative results are magnified in his case because of all the eyes trained on him, and because of his leadership position. Yesterday, they lost anew, and with it any semblance of momentum brought about by their win over the Raptors. This time around, they whimpered across the finish line, scoring only 20 to the Wizards’ 34 to ultimately end eight down.

The Lakers stayed ninth in Western Conference standings, although the Pelicans seem fated to go past them with still 11 contests to go before the end of the regular season. And with their lack of confidence, there’s reason to argue that they’ll be one and done in the playoffs — whether or not stalwart Anthony Davis returns from injury. Meanwhile, Mr. James keeps chugging along. He’s doing all he can to hold back Father Time, but his efforts look wasted. And, soon enough, even he himself will be.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Is the pandemic ending soon?

PATRICK ASSALE-UNSPLASH

Here’s how we can learn from and live with COVID-19

WHEN will this end? This question has been on everyone’s mind for many months. We are all tired of the pandemic. So naturally, we all want it to be over soon.

The government has started lifting restrictions. As a result, businesses can operate at full capacity, and people can travel freely irrespective of age or comorbidity. But that should not cause us to lower our guards — and masks.

During the Omicron wave in Jan. 2022, we saw a massive surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Fortunately, the risks of hospitalizations and deaths were lower. But that should not cause us to hesitate from getting COVID-19 vaccinations, including the booster doses, as required.

The pandemic is not over yet. We still need to get at least 70% of the total population vaccinated, with a greater focus on vaccinating the 2.4 million older adults who have not received even a single dose. In addition, we still need to continue masking, physical distancing, ensuring proper ventilation, and hand hygiene.

If we continue to do that, we will be ready for the next COVID-19 wave. But, if we stop doing that too soon, we will be wasting the lessons we have learned from the two years of living with the pandemic.

Using the tools we have and the lessons we learned, the Philippines can transition to sustained management of COVID-19. So let us do that collectively.

SUSTAINED MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19 AND PROTECTING THE MOST VULNERABLE
The Omicron variant is still around, and it can cause severe illness and even death, especially among more vulnerable and higher risk groups. Also, as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, has said: “It is dangerous to assume that the Omicron will be the last variant or that we are in the endgame.”

The COVID-19 virus is an unstable virus that changes rapidly and limits our ability to predict what will become of it next.

Therefore, countries, communities, and individuals should not “give up” or “neglect” precautions at this crucial juncture of the pandemic.

Living with COVID-19 is far from passive helplessness. Instead, it is about staying alert and getting ready. It is about adopting a risk-based approach, making intelligent choices, and comprehensively calibrating our tools and measures to keep surges at bay.

During the Delta surge, the Philippines used strict border control to delay the importation of the deadly variant. But as we know, severe movement restrictions and border control measures are not sustainable. While these measures did buy some time for health authorities to strengthen the country’s health capacity, the Delta variant caused widespread community transmission of the virus, overwhelmed many health facilities, and brought tragic losses in many families.

WHO has been supporting the Philippines with lifesaving vaccines from the COVAX Facility. In addition, the government procured vaccines from other sources. These efforts resulted in accelerated vaccination in most parts of the country.

However, large pockets of unvaccinated individuals remain in many provinces and cities. These individuals are at risk of severe infections and death. They may also serve as reservoirs of intense transmission and overwhelm healthcare capacities when the next wave strikes. In addition, immunity gained from vaccinations and natural infection may wane over time, making us susceptible again.

To date, the country has vaccinated over 63 million Filipinos. This is a considerable feat. The credit goes to the National Vaccination Operations Center, the local government units, and health workers and volunteers implementing vaccination drives.

And yet, challenges remain, with around 2.4 million senior citizens not receiving a single dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinating the elderly must be an absolute priority as they are at high risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19. Other high-risk groups include healthcare workers, other essential frontline workers, immunocompromised individuals, and people with comorbidities. Until every priority group is protected, no community is safe.

We need more community-based vaccinations at the barangay level to reach the unvaccinated. These have to include house-to-house vaccinations or close-to-home vaccination drives.

The transition from acute pandemic response to sustained management of COVID-19 will depend upon how the virus evolves and a combination of vaccination, public health and social measures and other factors, including the behavior of individuals.

Filipinos have high compliance to mask-wearing, and we must keep this habit to prevent virus transmission and infection among the most vulnerable. Besides, mask-wearing also protects us from other infectious diseases (e.g., influenza, tuberculosis) and air pollutants.

Let us continue to work on the proactive surveillance of COVID-19 variants and other emerging diseases. Contact tracing and monitoring of confirmed cases among the vulnerable groups must continue. And there must be timely advice on how people can continue protecting themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.

RECOVERING FROM COVID-19 AND PREPARING FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC
It is never too early to prepare for the next pandemic, as sadly, COVID-19 will not be our last. As we recover from this crisis, we should build systems to detect and respond to future public health emergencies. They have to be collaborative, multi-sectoral, and inclusive.

The solution is three-fold: strengthening health systems’ resilience, bringing health services closer to the people through Universal Health Care (UHC), and investing in pandemic preparedness and response.

Saving lives starts with investing in health and health systems. The Philippines must invest in health workers by building their capacity and supporting their well-being. The country should also invest more in empowering individuals for self-care and healthier lifestyles to reduce the risk of diseases. By doing that, we would collectively build resilient health and community systems that are not easily overwhelmed by health emergencies.

The government needs to continue to use COVID-19 as an opportunity to roll out UHC. Through UHC, it is possible to promote health and prevent disease at the primary healthcare level. UHC is one of the most sustainable ways to serve the vulnerable and the wider community’s needs.

To detect and respond to outbreaks, including pandemics, we need to invest in better tools for health surveillance. The WHO has a “Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.” This hub can support health authorities worldwide with data, analytics, and expertise in surveillance.

We can minimize the impact of COVID-19 this year with what we know and the tools we have. But that will depend on how long transmission continues and how the virus evolves. That will also depend on how quickly and effectively we prioritize protecting the most vulnerable. We need to do these not just in the Philippines but all over the world. Let us continue to use the lessons from COVID-19 to build back better.

 

Dr. Rajendra Yadav is the Acting WHO Representative to the Philippines. Dr. Sangjun Moon is the Incident Manager for COVID-19 Response at WHO Philippines.

Does a mild case of COVID really damage your brain?

UNSPLASH

SCARY HEADLINES about the long-term effects of COVID-19 gain traction easily. Recent news reports have warned that “even mild COVID can cause brain shrinkage,” “memory loss” and “long term” “brain damage” that “greatly” changes the brain “as much as a decade of aging.” Over time, that fear is likely to wear no better than fears that the virus could spread outdoors at beaches or on pieces of mail.

The media shouldn’t underplay the danger of the pandemic, but overplaying risks can degrade public trust and focus attention on the wrong things.

Alarming news stories obscure the fact that the disease affects people in vastly different ways. Some people (most unvaccinated) die. Some get sick despite having gotten three vaccine shots, perhaps due to genetic variations in the immune system. Some end up with long COVID and report suffering for weeks or months with fatigue, problems concentrating, memory lapses and sleep disorders. And a great number of people have cold-like symptoms and recover.

The protracted symptoms of long COVID are a real problem that deserves serious attention. Widespread brain shrinkage isn’t.

The brain shrinkage paper that garnered so much media attention didn’t include any data on whether the patients had lingering symptoms. And it didn’t show that having COVID-19 is likely to change your brain in any medically significant way. If you feel fine, you probably are fine.

“This paper might be the beginning of something — but they would have to do a lot more to show this is permanent or that the patients showed interesting changes in cognition,” said Columbia University neurologist Scott Small, who was not involved with the research. Small and other neurologists I spoke with were impressed by how subtle the changes to the brain were. The researchers, who described their brain imaging work in the journal Nature, teased out shifts too tiny to be observed by a radiologist.

Health scare stories often attempt to call attention to lurking risks for those who feel healthy — and that’s good if it helps real diseases get caught early. But there’s a limit to how useful it is. Some cancer screenings lead to unnecessary surgery. A new study suggests that healthy people with slightly elevated cholesterol don’t benefit much from statins. And it turns out that healthy people actually shouldn’t take an aspirin a day to prevent strokes. Again: if you feel fine, you probably are fine.

What makes the brain study exciting scientifically is that it takes advantage of unique circumstances — a group of 785 people who had gotten brain scans before the pandemic as part of a data collection effort. Rescanning them allowed the scientists to compare before and after pictures from those who’d had COVID and those who hadn’t.

To put the results in perspective, Shamik Bhattacharyya, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, pointed out scatter plots near the bottom of this paper. The dots depict variation in the brain regions of interest. Dots representing different brain measurements on scatter plots jumped up and down, both for the people who’d had COVID and for those who had not. Little changes like these can result from hydration status, other health problems or even the time of day. Nothing in the body is perfectly static or perfectly measurable.

The individual changes measured in the study were subtle, but by extracting information from hundreds of scans together, the researchers concluded those who’d had COVID showed slightly more of a decrease in brain regions they thought might be affected by COVID — those governing memory and sense of smell. One possibility is that the loss of smell in some patients led to changes in the brain, just as human brains are known to “remodel” themselves after changes in hearing or vision. And if the sense returns, the brain might reverse this very minor shift.

Avindra Nath, a neuroimmunologist at the National Institutes of Health who is studying long COVID, said the conclusions might hold clues to what’s causing long COVID, and figuring that out is critical to finding treatments. Researchers would love to see a similarly precise brain imaging study that included people with lingering symptoms.

One weird finding that nobody could explain was a slight difference between the COVID and control groups in the scans taken before the pandemic — the COVID patients actually started with smaller brains. “It’s highly unclear why this was true,” said Bhattacharyya.

People’s gray matter does slowly shrink with age, but the changes measured in this study aren’t necessarily permanent, say the neurologists. An illness can temporarily change the brain, but so can learning new skills such as juggling or driving a taxi.

Public health officials, doctors, and media outlets aren’t helping if they mislead people for any reason. Those who feel they can’t trust the mainstream media will migrate to fringe scientists and media figures who serve up vastly exaggerated reports of vaccine side effects, or promises of miracle cures. The sea of COVID misinformation is too vast to police — the best antidote for it is trustworthy, balanced information coming through mainstream channels.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

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