DAY 1746-1759

Jun 14 - 27

1) So this week I got my first dose of vaccination! This may sound like a thing of the past for those in other countries, but in Malaysia, vaccination uptake has been very slow. Thankfully, in recent times, vaccination rates have been increasing exponentially, with the latest data showing at least 15% of the population having received their first dose. 

2) My vaccination appointment was at the SPICE Convention Centre, so I carpooled with my good friend Daniel (who coincidentally had a morning appointment as well). My appointment was an hour earlier, so I thought I would wait for him after I was done. In the end, they allowed him to be vaccinated at the same time, so we could go home even earlier. The entire process was very quick and efficient. All we had to do as we progressed through each station was to keep showing the staff our app ("MySejahtera") which contained all our particulars, and our identification card. 

3) After about 15 minutes, we were led into the actual stadium, where multiple booths had been set up for mass vaccination to take place. I was asked if I knew which vaccine I was getting (the AstraZeneca vaccine), and whether I had any allergies or previous reactions to anything. The staff then briefed me about the vaccine and asked me if I had any questions. Next, I sat outside the booth waiting for my turn to get vaccinated. The doctor went through the same quick screening, and then proceeded to show me the syringe containing 0.5mL of AZ vaccine. 

4) Before I knew it, the contents had been injected into my left deltoid, and it was all over - I did not feel a thing! The last part was to wait for 15 minutes in the waiting area (just to monitor for any immediate reactions). Daniel came right after me, and we both left without any reactions. All in all, it was very smooth-sailing and uneventful. Barring a little tenderness over the injection site, I have had no reactions/ adverse complications since getting vaccinated. Before leaving, they gave us a card with our next appointment (within 3 months), which would complete the two doses necessary for immunity. Half way there, half more to go then.

5) The rest of the day (and week) was uneventful. I had missed the whole morning session that day, so I had to take down notes from my friends. Thankfully, I will not be missing any more classes after this (until my next vaccination of course!) And on that note, I shall end my blog post for today. Thanks very much for tuning in as always, and have a great week ahead. Stay safe and stay healthy, cheers!

The card reads "I've been vaccinated!"

Daniel and I, waiting for our turn to register :)

Translation: I've been vaccinated - you should too! :)

That's exactly how the COVID-19 vaccine looks like 

(not to scale of course XD)

DAY 1733-1745

Jun 1-13

1) This week has been a particularly rough one for me. To start off, I had an eczema flare-up for the past week, which really affected my concentration and sleep. Besides, there was a sudden complete black-out in my apartment. Also, my internet wi-fi decided to give up on me when I needed it badly, and finally, my phone decided not to charge properly. When taken individually, these seem like quite trivial matters (which indeed they are), but when you consider that most of us medical students at RUMC are already at the brink of anxiety and depression having to study for exams they have no idea how to prepare for, then it is easy to see how this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. 

2) Regardless, the week has ended on a particularly high-note: my article on motor neuron hyperexcitability, which I co-authored with Dr. James Bashford (my supervisor from my MSc course) has been published! I still remember writing sections of this paper during my two-weeks quarantine in Tune Hotel, KL shortly after my return from UK. There was no chair to use in my hotel room, so I had my laptop propped up on two spare pillows as I hunched over, reading papers and making notes for the article. And today, just shy of a year later, this very article has been published in Clinical Neurophysiology, a high-impact peer-reviewed medical journal. 

3) In other news, Malaysia has extended its nationwide lockdown for yet another two weeks. Infection rates have indeed been dropping, with yesterday recording just 5,793 cases (compared to 9,020 cases a week ago), and the highest number of recoveries, at 8,334 discharged. For us medical students, this means more online lectures and self-directed learning. I have also registered for and received my appointment date for the COVID-19 vaccination next week (June 21). Compared to many countries, Malaysia has been slow in mass vaccination with only 4% of the population being fully vaccinated, but things look to be speeding up. My grandfather recently had his second dose, and has had no symptoms whatsoever. 

4) That's all for this edition of my blog. Thanks very much for visiting as always, and have a great week ahead. Cheers! :)

P.S. If you are interested, here is the link to the journal article:   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2021.03.053

Title: Demystifying the spontaneous phenomena of motor hyperexcitability

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2021.03.053

Saying goodbye to Ice: senior turned classmate turned senior again

Safe trip back to Thailand! :D

Thanks for the birthday cake Rach!

Hope you had a great one :D