Hello to all! I'm a general practitioner / guitarist and just to warn you fellow musicians about this new virus that can affect your playing! If you've been watching the news lately, you know that cases of chikungunya are rising in the Philippines attributed to the rainy season. The virus is similar to dengue as it is brought about a mosquito bite and also presents with fever, rash, headache...in contrast, it rarely causes bleeding or death..whats bothering me is that it causes SEVERE JOINT PAIN similar to arthritis. Even when the fever and rash resolves, the joint pain can last for weeks-months. Never really paid much attention to it until I got infected. Its been a month since I last had the fever but the joints on my fingers are continuously under excruciating pain even with minimal pressure. I can't pay like I used to coz of the pain, huge loss in dexterity, speed and finger strength! It's hard for me to pull off solos or strike those chords which require a bit of finger-stretch. HASSLE-HOFF! Tip ko lang is cyempre get rid of stagnant water in your houses, use insect repellants, and dont play ur instrument if u are susected of having the virus (it affects the joints that u use when ure sick), lastly cyempre, go to your doctor. Friendly advise lang mga sir/maam, Ingat!!!!
