TIME was when waxing sentimental in social media about living a happy, carefree life with parties, hugs and kisses pre-Covid19-pandemic was cute, even funny.

Nowadays it's just irritating.

My view is that life will never be the same again. And thus we should take stock of our "feelings" and start looking towards the future in a totally different light. Happy and productive, yes, but living to the fullest in a more enlightened manner.

A most recent article by Bloomberg columnist Andreas Kluth hit the nail on the head. Entitled "We Must Start Planning For a Permanent Pandemic," Kluth says simply that "With coronavirus mutations pitted against vaccinations in a global arms race, we may never go back to normal." (We Must Start Planning For a Permanent Pandemic)

Kluth says we will never go back to normal or achieve herd immunity unlike previous pandemics because Covid 19 comes up with new strains faster than we can make and roll out vaccines plus those who got it do not develop immunity and may still get it again.

The article does not say the vaccines are useless, but like the flu vaccines we have today we may have to take more shots every year or so... or booster shots. Anyone who has taken a flu vaccine knows that it protects from thousands of flu strains, but not all. The protection comes from being able to eliminate the thousands of known strains, so yearly or so you have to update your shots to cover the newer flu strains.

We must learn and adapt to the fast-changing landscape of Covid-19. For example, in the early days of the pandemic last year the surge of homecoming Overseas Filipino Workers had the Red Cross and the Philippine Coastguard set up testing centers in the ports of entry -- airports and seaports. The process they came up with was that the traveller into the country was tested and then brought straight to the quarantine hotel where they would wait for their test result. If negative they are released and if positive they are brought to a medical facility if symptomatic or stayed in quarantine until they test negative.

Health authorities changed and adapted to their new observations. They found that many travellers who tested negative upon arrival were wrongly released from hotel quarantine and thus helped the spread of infection. Thus the current protocol is that the travellers are brought immediately to the hotel or isolation facility immediately upon arrival where they would stay for three to five days then tested. Only then will they be released if negative.

Worldwide health authorities like our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created what is called an "emergency use authorization" for the vaccines. Although these vaccines were still subjected to stringent testing and phase 3 human trials, it was expedited compared to the months or even years needed before approvals were given to most medicines.

Which brings up another lifestyle change concern in the time of Covid: developing the power of discernment in anything and everything that comes out in the internet and social media. For example, many anti-vaxxers are spreading so-called warnings about vaccinations in general. They're no different from those who believe the earth is flat or that face masks cause carbon dioxide poisoning or even those who say dihydrogen oxide is in everything we eat and drink and thus we are being poisoned everyday.

But some are more insidious, like bashing Sinovac and other Chinese-made meds, jumping on the xenophobic and anti-China political bandwagon. One poster we engaged said he will never trust anything Chinese, and his proof was that his family and friends always had negative experiences with Chinese-made products. We did point out to him that he was possibly posting from his Iphone, android smartphone or computer which was most likely made in China. Of course, we did realize that he and his family and friend were still using Nokia phones made in Finland.

Most recent is this matter of Ivermectin, which advocates believe prevent and even cure Covid 19. Now I am all for anything that will help in the Covid fight. But doctors of note, especially our family doctors who have done wonders for Covid cases in my own family, are cautious, choosing to wait for full and conclusive studies by scientists, physicians and health authorities before dispensing and prescribing it themselves.

One doctor said it simply: in the early days they pushed the malaria medicine Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine as a cure for Covid 19. Even US President Donald Trump was a big advocate and in fact was later found out to have investments with its manufacturer. Of course now we know it's useless and, in fact, has even led to serious heart ailments.

Comes now this politician who issues an official statement that he will push congress "to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation on this matter. We need to hear the experts most especially the DOH and the FDA as the regulatory agencies on this matter and ask why the inflexibility against IVERMECTIN."

According to this partylister he was cured of his Covid 19 by Ivermectin and a host of other remedies and vitamins at the same time. Of course, he doesn't say conclusively that Ivermectin was the sole cure of his infection or whether it was in combination with the others he took or perhaps it was the other he took solely.

Now here's where logic is flawed in his statement: "There is really no prescribed cure as for the moment but the meds and vitamins I took helped me endure and recover from the sickness which brings me to my point. Why is the FDA and the DOH gungho about putting IVERMECTIN out of the market when there is no proven cure? Will they also ban ibuprofen and paracetamol when people with COVID also take them during sickness?"

First, he just proved my point and negated his advocacy.

Second, the health authorities and scientists have already said they are studying it thoroughly and will come up with their findings soon.

Third, ibuprofen and paracetamol were never claimed to be a cure for Covid 19 -- or for anything for that matter -- but are analgesics to help ease the discomfort of pain and fever.

Yes we need to develop real discernment in navigating this pandemic. Between a grandstanding -- not to mention corrupt -- politician, and doctors and scientists working day and night to find a cure, who would you believe?

Lastly, this lifestyle change we need to undergo to move on and charge forward with the new challenges in life, we must likewise look to change our innermost being. This has to do with the spiritual. And for that I turn to this: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV).