Marian Dimabuyu

I am Marian Dimabuyu, current Pulmonary Fellow at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Philippines. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to present our research in this much awaited Congress. To be able to present orally was such an honour and I could not contain my happiness when I received the email that I had been selected to be the recipient of the APSR/PCCP Young Investigator Award. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition I have received for my work because I am very sure that every other nominee for this award was as capable, if not more so, of winning this award.

In the session, I had a wonderful experience to share our work on determination of antibody titers in Filipino healthcare workers after COVID-19 vaccination. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread, despite multiple lockdowns and prolonged control measures implemented in our country. The first two vaccines that arrived were Sinovac and Astra Zeneca. Health workers are at a higher risk for COVID-19 infection. This study helped provide a limited snapshot of the antibody responses of healthcare workers. It is not known what magnitude of neutralizing antibodies (nAb) is needed for protection, or what the durability of the nAb responses would be. Both vaccines have shown to produce neutralizing antibodies, especially after a second dose, but data shows that Astra Zeneca is more effective than Sinovac even after three months. Those who were previously infected had higher antibody titer responses after a single dose of vaccine for both groups. However, the duration of antibody responses and other potential measures of protective immunity are still ongoing and need further investigation.

After the presentation, I appreciated all the questions and valuable feedback and encouragement which became a great opportunity for learning and future studies. I really enjoyed listening also to the presentation of the other researchers. Furthermore, attending the Congress allowed me to meet the clinical and research experts around the world and hear them discuss new findings and updates on the field of respiratory medicine by the new platform, despite the pandemic.

Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my consultants and colleagues, for whom I have the deepest respect, and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and perform better. Looking forward to the day that we can finally attend the Congress face-to-face. Thank you again, APSR and best regards.

Marian Dimabuyu