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Why does it seem that people are getting more migraines during the pandemic?

TV host and model Bianca Gonzalez-Intal has been coping with migraines and taking maintenance medicine for almost 30 years.

“I was in school. I went to the clinic. My head was throbbing. Tinawag ‘yung mommy ko (My mom was contacted) to pick me up from school. [Then], I remember going to the hospital and doing some tests,” Ms. Gonzalez-Intal recalled when she first got diagnosed with a migraine in Grade 3.

As an adult, she takes strong medicine and naps prior to her work as a host to cope. “Whenever I had to host shows and events, there were bright lights and loud sounds, which are all migraine triggers. I have to take a strong medicine and take a nap backstage before showtime, so I could ease my migraine headache and be able to perform my role as host,” she said.

Aside from sounds and lights, a major trigger for migraines is anxiety. And being in the middle of a pandemic is stressful.

MIGRAINES AND THE PANDEMIC
Migraine is a headache disorder involving recurrent attacks of moderate to severe head pain, usually throbbing, often on one side of the head. Stress, lack of sleep, and strong odors are some of its common triggers.

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016, around 12 million Filipinos suffer from migraine.

The pandemic has hit migraine sufferers hard. Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis conducted a social media analysis of 3,645 posts (in English) from March 15 to April 15 this year which found that the stress and anxiety induced by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic have triggered migraine attacks in patients globally.

“Migraine attacks may be more common these days because of stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic,” said Dr. Corina Maria Socorro Azores-Macalintal, consultant neurologist at Asian Hospital and Medical Center, said in a virtual media briefing, “Tama Na, Iwas Migraine, New Normal,” organized by Novartis Healthcare Phils., and held via Zoom on May 27. “The impact of the pandemic on the patient is more on the limitations of the patient’s access to health care, and their increase in stress and anxiety as the triggers for their migraine,” she said.

During the briefing, medical professionals discussed how migraine patients can cope amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, including resorting to telemedicine and other online resources for help.

The biggest culprit during the pandemic, said Philippine Neurological Association (PNA) President Dr. Rosalina Espiritu-Picar, during the briefing, is sleep issues. “The biggest problem with having an unstructured life because of the pandemic is that you don’t have regular working hours so sleep is also very irregular,” she said.

Anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic can be part of a vicious circle involving sleep problems and migraine pain. “They feed off each other,” said Dr. Espiritu-Picar. “That means people who do not sleep well tend to have more pain, and people who end to have more pain also tend to have more anxiety and depression. And that relationship is bidirectional,” she noted.

“The limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted patients globally, including migraine sufferers. To cope with these limitations, we encourage migraine patients who are stable and do not require acute emergency care to utilize telemedicine tools so that they can stay connected with their doctors,” Dr. Espiritu-Picar said.

To give patients more information about migraines and headaches while maintaining safety protocols during the quarantine, the PNA posted a list of neurologists who are accepting telemedicine consultations on its official website (www.philippineneurologicalassociation.com), as well as a list of FAQs about headaches (https://www.philippineneurologicalassociation.com/headache).

While patients may be prescribed pharmacologic managements such as analgesics, triptans, and medicine combinations, Dr. Azores-Macalintal noted that non-pharmacologic managements such as staying hydrated, regular exercise, regular sleep, and stress management, are also important.

It is also advised to avoid food, behavioral, and environmental triggers. Food triggers include caffeine, alcohol, and monosodium glutamate (MSG); behavioral triggers include stress, too much or too little sleep, skipping meals, and dehydration; and environmental triggers include weather changes, loud noise, and exposure to glare or flickering lights like those that affect Ms. Gonzalez-Intal.

Different patients have different triggers, and one can discover which ones are particular to them by tracking their migraines. One way to do so is with Migraine Buddy, an advanced migraine headache diary and tracking app designed with neurologists and data scientists. Through the app one can not just learn what their particular triggers are, but also learn to recognize the warning signs. It is available on the App Store and Google Play.

MEDICATION
Aside from avoiding triggers, there are now medical options that can be taken to prevent migraines. One of these is Novartis’ Erenumab, which has been approved by the US FDA, EMA, Swissmedic and Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for migraine prevention.

“Erenumab specifically targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide or CGRP receptor, which plays a key role in the pathophysiology of migraine. It has been shown to safely and effectively reduce migraine frequency, allowing patients to have more migraine-free days. This innovative anti-migraine medicine is self-administered once monthly via a pre-filled syringe,” Chief Scientific Officer of Novartis Healthcare Philippines Dr. Giovell Barangan said in a press release.

In the Philippines, it has been approved and prescribed for the prevention of migraine among adults. “The effectiveness has not been studied in the pediatric population that’s why it is only recommended for adult patients with migraine,” he said during the virtual media briefing. “It can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription and guidance.”

“You have to understand that there are different kinds of headaches. Different headaches have different manifestations,” Dr. Espiritu-Picar said, adding the importance of consultations because various headaches require different treatments. She also advised patients to develop an active partnership with their doctors. “A big part of the management of migraine will depend on the patient’s cooperation,” she said.

To learn more about migraine and be in contact with fellow migraine sufferers, visit the Speak Your Migraine Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/speakyourmigraineph. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Crown Asia earnings up 6% despite lower revenues

CROWN ASIA Chemicals Corp. posted a 6% increase in earnings in the first quarter despite a 5% decline in sales due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The listed manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds said its net income in the three-month period stood at P45.43 million, up from P42.66 million in the same period last year.

The increase came amid a drop in revenues to P320.75 million from P338.52 million last year, which the company attributed to lower domestic sales due to quarantine measures that started in mid-March.

Crown Asia said its higher bottomline can be linked to the decrease in finance costs because of the repayment of car loans and foreign exchange rate differentials during the three-month period.

The company’s gross expenses stood at P256.15 million at the end of the quarter, down 8% year-on-year.

“[W]ith the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, the company will continue with its best efforts to sustain revenue and earnings growth, barring the economic barriers from local economic and world health and geopolitical issues,” it said in a statement.

Crown Asia distributes its products such as wires, cables, films, sheets, bottles, potable pipes and fittings, electrical conduits, flexible electrical pipes and sanitary pipes across the world. These are used directly and indirectly in the construction and telecommunications industries.

Shares in the company at the stock exchange closed flat on Tuesday at P1.74 apiece. — Denise A. Valdez

Frequent testing, less contact recommended to get Hollywood cameras rolling again

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood studios and labor unions on Monday proposed extensive coronavirus testing and other safeguards to allow actors and crew members to resume movie and TV show production in the United States.

An entertainment industry task force sent dozens of recommendations to the governors of California and New York, two of the largest US production hubs, and was awaiting a green light to return to sets. Filming around the world was halted in mid-March to help curb the coronavirus pandemic.

In a 22-page blueprint, the task force urged regular testing for cast and crew and daily monitoring of symptoms through temperature checks or other measures. Crew members would be told to wear face masks.

Actors, however, would not be able to wear masks or other personal protective equipment while filming. They would be advised to minimize scenes with close contact or use digital effects to portray intimate moments. TV shows also would be discouraged from filming before a live audience.

The guidelines were developed by a task force that included representatives from Walt Disney Co., Netflix, Inc., AT&T, Inc.’s Warner Bros and Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, plus unions including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Directors Guild of America.

Testing is “the cornerstone” of the recommendations and rapid results will be needed, according to a statement from Directors Guild President Thomas Schlamme and the group’s national executive director, Russell Hollander.

“Without testing, the entire cast and crew would be working in an environment of unknown risk,” the statement said.

Actors and those in closest contact with them should be tested more often, they added, since they will not be wearing personal protective equipment while on camera.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will discuss its requirements for restarting productions in the county, home to several movie studios and sound stages. — Reuters

Suntrust signs deal with HK firm for convertible bonds

SUNTRUST Home Developers, Inc. is issuing P5.6 billion convertible bonds to be subscribed to by a Hong Kong-based company in relation to its construction of a hotel casino in Parañaque City.

In a disclosure to the local exchange on Tuesday, Suntrust said it had signed a subscription agreement with Hong Kong’s Summit Ascent Investments Ltd. earlier this week.

The deal requires Suntrust to issue P5.6 billion, 6% coupon convertible bonds that Summit Ascent will subscribe to under certain conditions. It said the move would support the development of the five-star hotel casino that Suntrust is building at the Manila Bayshore Integrated City in Parañaque City.

In Summit Ascent’s disclosure to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the company said the convertible bonds to be issued by Suntrust may be converted into conversion shares.

Net proceeds from the issuance is estimated at HK$1.6 billion, which Summit Ascent will use for the development of Tigre de Cristal, a hotel and resort in Russia.

Suntrust is 51%-owned by Fortune Noble Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Suncity Group Holdings Ltd.

Suncity is a substantial shareholder of Summit Ascent through its parent company, Summit Ascent Holdings Ltd., where Suncity holds approximately 24.74% interest.

The hotel casino that Suntrust is building with Westside City Resorts World, Inc. will stand as part of Megaworld Corp.’s Westside City in Parañaque City. It is envisioned to have at least 400 rooms and a casino.

Shares in Suntrust at the Philippine Stock Exchange picked up 12 centavos or 10.43% to P1.27 each on Tuesday. — Denise A. Valdez

Globe partners with Korean streaming service

PHILIPPINE telecommunications company Globe has expanded its roster of video streaming site partners with the entry of VLive, a South Korean live video streaming and entertainment platform service.

“As we are relying on the internet for our main source of entertainment, we want to offer all types of content for our diverse set of users, and that includes streaming services for our subscribers who are avid fans of Korean pop music,” Ernest L. Cu, Globe President and CEO, said in a statement.

The partnership means that users can stream VLive’s content by registering through Globe’s prepaid data packages and promos (GoWATCH, GoSurf, and GoSAKTO, among others).

VLive is the live streaming video service of South Korean technology giant Naver Corp. which was launched in 2015. The site, and its mobile app, offers often exclusive live broadcasts, concerts, and reality series featuring South Korean celebrities. While many of the features are free, the service also offers subscriptions for premium content like surprise live broadcasts or fan interactions.

Among the artists who have content on VLive are KPop groups BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, TXT, and NCT.

For more information on Globe data packages, visit globe.com.ph or follow their official media pages. — ZBC

Eagle Cement continues food relief

EAGLE Cement Corp. has committed to continue supporting the communities around its cement plants as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic persists.

The cement manufacturer said in a statement Tuesday it will keep distributing food packs to some 18,000 families despite the easing of quarantine restrictions in Luzon.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our country, EAGLE is committed to continue helping our partner communities where we operate, during the crisis and beyond,” Eagle Chairman Ramon S. Ang said in the statement.

“The livelihood of many residents in our communities have been affected by this pandemic and they currently do not have the means to provide for their families. We hope that our relief operations are able to help them,” he added.

Eagle Cement said it has so far distributed more than 21,000 relief packs to communities in Bulacan and Cebu since April. One pack contains rice and canned goods which it estimates would last two weeks.

The company partners with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and local government units to extend support to 34 barangays in San Ildefonso, Doña Remedios Trinidad and San Rafael in Bulacan and two barangays in Malabuyoc, Cebu. These municipalities are where Eagle Cement’s facilities are located.

Eagle Cement’s earnings fell 25% to P1.2 billion in the first quarter due to the suspension of construction activity in mid-March. Its shares in the stock exchange shed five centavos or 0.61% to close at P8.18 each on Tuesday. — Denise A. Valdez

MTV goes dark

YOUTH television channel MTV and other stablemate channels said they will go dark around the world on Monday to mark the death in police custody of George Floyd, joining other US entertainment outlets in condemning racial inequality. MTV will be joined by its other ViacomCBS youth and music channels, including Comedy Central, CMT, and VH1, at 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT) in an eight minute, 46 second blackout — the length of time they said that a white Minneapolis police officer last week knelt on the neck of Floyd, a black man. Floyd’s death has prompted mass protests in cities around the United States decrying the treatment of black Americans, polarizing the country politically and racially. The TV networks will also provide a call to action encouraging audiences to link up with racial justice organization Color of Change. The move by MTV follows calls by leading record labels to suspend business, delay new music releases, and pledge support for racial justice organizations in the wake of Floyd’s death. Warner Music Group, Universal Music, Sony Music and other record labels have issued pledges and support for the “Black Out Tuesday” initiative. Multiple musicians, including Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Jay-Z have spoken out in response to the death and subsequent demonstrations, some of which have turned violent. — Reuters

Bounty Agro sustains business during pandemic

BOUNTY Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) said it had managed to minimize its business losses even while the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic persisted.

In a statement, BAVI President Ronald R. Mascariñas said the company had expanded its business through creating new trade channels such as rolling stores that made its products more accessible to consumers despite the lockdown.

“We are among the lucky ones. We managed to minimize expected business losses at the start of the quarantine period in mid-March,” Mr. Mascariñas said.

In March, the company’s chicken rotisserie chain, Chooks-to-Go, launched a nationwide mobile store that also served products under its Uling Roasters and Bounty Fresh brands. BAVI said its rolling store had also partnered with barangays and village leaders.

“As a result, we are approaching the coming regimes of easing restrictions, a stronger organization with more products, and a healthier financial position,” Mr. Mascariñas said.

The company also sold live chicken sourced from its 400 contract growing partners, which kept Bounty’s supply chain stable throughout the lockdown period.

However, Mr. Mascariñas said the company needs to adjust to the new environment as the country has shifted to the more relaxed general community quarantine.

“We at BAVI met the difficult challenges of the last two months not by retreating but by advancing and expanding,” Mr. Mascariñas said.

BAVI claims to be the country’s second largest poultry integrator, together with its sister company Bounty Fresh Foods, Inc.

The company’s retail brands include Chooks-to-Go, Uling Roasters, and Adobo Connection. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Guggenheim welcomes visitors

BILBAO, Spain — Two dozen visitors queued to get their temperatures taken at the entrance to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum on Monday as it became the first of Spain’s major cultural centers to reopen its doors after a long lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance appeared modest on the grand opening day of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim. Visitors must wear masks, while capacity has been reduced by half and hand-sanitizing stations have been dotted at strategic points around the cavernous structure. Along with the rest of the country’s museums and galleries it has been closed since a state of emergency was declared in mid-March. But as the Basque Country progresses to the third stage of a four-step easing plan, the center has reopened, albeit with several limitations. Madrid’s landmark museums El Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia are set to reopen on Saturday. — Reuters

Uniqlo set to open online store

JAPANESE global apparel retailer Uniqlo is set to launch its e-commerce platform to the local market in the second half of the year and make it available both in its website and mobile application.

“With millions of internet users in the country, there is a strong customer demand for online shopping in the Philippines,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Uniqlo said the online store would extend its reach, bringing the brand and its “LifeWear” apparel to new customers in the country. It will also bring the brand closer to existing customers by providing a convenient shopping experience to complement its network of retail locations across the Philippines.

“The launch of the Uniqlo online store further strengthens our presence in the Philippines, and brings greater convenience to our customers here. An online store will provide local Uniqlo customers a faster and easier way of purchasing their favorite LifeWear items,” said Masayoshi Nakamura, chief operating officer of Uniqlo Philippines.

Uniqlo is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese retail holding company with global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Uniqlo is the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group.

Eton taps start-up as lockdown eases

ETON Properties Philippines, Inc. is teaming up with on-demand services platform MyKuya as part of safety efforts during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a statement Tuesday, the Lucio C. Tan-led company said it had partnered with the mobile application operator to bridge customers to its stores while reducing human contact.

“As the public is still encouraged to stay home when they can, Eton Properties has partnered with an on-demand services app MyKuya for its users to have their meals and errands delivered,” it said.

Users may request through the MyKuya app for assistance in buying meals, paying bills and shopping for grocery. The service is available in Eton Centris and Eton Cyberpod Corinthian in Quezon City, and Eton Tower Makati and Eton WestEnd Square in Makati City.

The company is also implementing safety protocols in its properties as quarantine rules are relaxed. All Eton buildings will be regularly sanitized and will require temperature checks and wearing of face masks for all visitors.

For its hotels, employees such as front desk staff, security and housekeeping will be asked to wear personal protective equipment while on duty.

For malls and condominium units, there will be floor markings to direct the movement of people in such a way that will maintain physical distancing. Elevators will also be limited to 50% of its usual capacity.

Vatican Museums reopen

VATICAN CITY — If you’ve ever dreamed of being in the Sistine Chapel without feeling like you are craning your neck in a packed open-top tourist bus, now is your chance. The Vatican Museums reopened to the public on Monday after being closed for nearly three months because of the coronavirus lockdown. The Museums, which house some of the world’s greatest Renaissance masterpieces as well as ancient Roman and Egyptian artefacts, can now be visited only by making online reservations in order to control the number of people attending at one time. Visitors have their temperatures checked by remote thermal scanners and have to wear masks. Still, that was a small inconvenience in exchange for being one of only about 25 people at a time on Monday in the Sistine Chapel, with its famous ceiling and Last Judgement panel painted by Michelangelo in the 16th century. The Museums received some 7 million visitors last year and are the Holy See’s most reliable source of income, previously generating an estimated $100 million annually. That number probably will not be seen again for some time because of the pandemic’s effect on the travel and hotel industries. During the closure, art lovers could visit the Museums via virtual tours online, but most would agree there’s nothing like the real thing. — Reuters

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