Catherine E Jordan

Being able to receive the news that my abstract was one of the chosen studies to be presented for the APSR Assembly Virtual Meeting was something that boosted our morale especially during these trying times. Few days after, I was able to receive bigger news that my abstract was the recipient of the Gold Award among the chosen abstracts for the respiratory infections (non-tuberculous) symposium. It was definitely a blessing to be given the opportunity to represent the Philippines and the St. Luke's Medical Center, and to be able to share our study on an international platform with a bonus of being chosen as the best abstract for this assembly.

I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude and congratulations to all the organizers of this virtual assembly who really put a lot of effort and hard work in order for this conference to push through despite and in spite of the odds of pandemic. Indeed, this virtual conference has provided us with an opportunity to showcase our research, express our thoughts, share our knowledge and gain new ones in return from the presentations and discussions during the assembly. It was well organized and all of the staff have been very accommodating even to my most trivial queries despite us working in different time zones. Despite not being able to meet face-to-face, this assembly was able to serve as an effective avenue for learning and certainly, a lot of new ideas and information have been conveyed not only to the presenters, but also to the rest of the attendees.

After my presentation in the assembly, I received a lot of positive feedback and valuable input regarding our study. All the questions posted and comments given during my presentation were highly appreciated. These remarks have inspired and challenged me at the same time to come up with better research in the future.

Finally, allow me to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to my co-authors Dr Timmons Cruz, Dr Armin Masbang and Dr Marites Tan-Ang. This study would not have been a success without your valuable input and guidance. I would also like to thank the Department of Medicine and Institute of Pulmonary Medicine of St. Luke's Medical Center for their unwavering support.

Again, thank you APSR for giving me a source of joy and inspiration during these difficult times. I hope and pray that I will be given another opportunity to participate and present in upcoming congress once this pandemic is over. Here's to wishing that everyone will remain safe and healthy as we work our way towards winning this battle against the pandemic!