More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Many are excited to drop to alert 0 but if that happens that does not mean COVID-19 has been eliminated.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169888 |
The declaration of Alert Level 0 classification in a certain area doesn’t mean the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has already been eliminated, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 special medical adviser, Dr. Ted Herbosa, said Wednesday.
Herbosa made this remark following his previous statement that the National Capital Region (NCR) is already eligible for Alert Level 0 classification.
He said Metro Manila mayors have already recommended the shift of the metropolis to Alert Level 0, however, the public should be reminded that Covid-19 still exists.
While he assessed that the NCR is already qualified to de-escalate to Alert Level 0, Herbosa said he still favors the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to maintain the Alert Level 1 status in NCR until March 31.
“(I agree with the recommendation of IATF because Covid-19 is still there, anytime it could reemerge and outbreak may happen),” he said in an interview at the Laging Handa public briefing.
Even if the NCR will be placed into the lowest alert level classification, Herbosa said the public should continue adhering to the minimum health standards and safety protocols against Covid-19, adding that there is a need to vaccinate the unvaccinated and provide booster doses to the eligible population.
On the other hand, Herbosa said the Alert Level System will now be part of the Department of Health’s epidemiology surveillance of new diseases such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The current alert level system will be incorporated into the DOH's epidemiology surveillance for future diseases. But there is no alert level 0.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/16/22/govt-eyes-countrywide-imposition-of-future-covid-alert-system |
The government is eyeing the countrywide imposition of future COVID-19 alert levels, no longer per locality, Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said Wednesday.
(When we talk about the next level after alert level 1, we're considering it not per area but for whole country already. What we're looking forward to is to see all areas be placed under alert level 1.)
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said experts and government advisers were looking into "Alert Level 0" and whether the mandatory use of face masks would be retained amid the continuing threat of the COVID-19.
Alert Level 0 is "not a formal term and not an official term yet," said Vergeire.
(Alert level 1 is the lowest in our alert level system where we have 100 percent capacity already and cases are manageable. The reason we have yet to deescalate is because we still have infections.)
The Philippine Army has launched their very own COVID-19 alert system.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170105 |
The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday announced the launch of an integrated coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) information system designed to strengthen its prevention, detection, isolation, treatment, and reintegration efforts.
In a statement, the PA said the information system was launched during the command-wide 14th Senior Leaders Conference at the PA Officers Clubhouse in Fort Bonifacio held from Wednesday to Thursday.
The Army’s Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel (OG1, PA) held a live demonstration of the Covid-19 Integrated Information System before the Army senior leaders who attended the two-day leadership symposium.
The integrated information system combines the PA Molecular Laboratory Information System, PA Covid-19 Tracker, and PA Covid-19 Telemedicine Information System.
The launch of the integrated Covid-19 information system is in line with the command guidance of PA chief Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. who enjoined Army leaders to focus on developing the “golden triangle” of people, process, and technology.
“We can collectively benefit from robust analyses, real-time performance dashboards, and data-driven decisions instead of arbitrary, whimsical, and knee-jerk responses,” Brawner said.
Along with these alert systems Duterte says the government can earmark any unused Bayanihan funds for the next surge.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/825849/duterte-says-unused-bayanihan-funds-may-be-used-for-next-covid-19-surge/story/ |
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday asked Congress not to move the unused P4.99 billion funds under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) as it may come in handy should there be another COVID-19 surge in the Philippines.He then underscored that such unused funds may be used in case there will be a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in the country, considering the new coronavirus variant detected in Israel.“Whether we like it or not, kung totoo ‘yan (if that is true), it will reach again the shores of our country,” he said.(I hope Congress doesn’t move [the funds]. If they want to legislate it, so be it. Don’t move the funds because that is in preparation for another surge of another variant. This monster is mutating and we don’t know until when it will linger. I guess it will be there or here for the longest time.)
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1571744/face-masks-stay-says-duterte-as-monster-covid-19-is-mutating |
Even though the number of COVID-19 infections is currently “very low,” President Rodrigo Duterte said he is not yet ready to revoke an order for the mandatory use of face masks especially in enclosed public places.
“The numbers are very low compared to the population. Itong mask, maraming nagtatanong, alam mo I am not ready to order the removal of the mask,” he said in a recorded public address aired on Tuesday.
He reasoned that the COVID-19 pandemic is still existing and may stay for long amid reports of new variants detected in other countries, which may eventually reach the Philippines.
“Matagal pa ito [pandemic]. Reports say na may bagong COVID variant found in Israel. So whether we like it or not, kung totoo ‘yan, it will reach again the shores of our country,” Duterte said.
It does not matter if a new variant reaches the Philippines because the virus is here to stay.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1571596/covid-19-seems-to-be-turning-endemic-in-ph-expert |
While the pandemic remains, there are signs that COVID-19 is on its way to becoming endemic in the country, according to infectious diseases expert Dr. Edsel Salvana.
At the Laging Handa briefing on Monday, Salvana said that only the World Health Organization could declare whether the pandemic was over although there were indications the coronavirus was becoming endemic. These include the low transmission of the virus and low hospitalization rate among infected individuals.
“Even if people get sick, because of the high level of vaccination, not too many end up in the hospital. It is virtually like the flu that, even though it still causes deaths, the number is not as high as originally,” he said.
Vaccination brought down the risk of death from COVID-19 tenfold, Salvana said, adding that among the vulnerable population, the risk declined from 10 to 1 percent while among the nonvulnerable, it was down from 1 to 0.1 percent.
He also pointed out that the country now had medicines to treat COVID-19 patients and further decrease their risk of death.
“It’s like going down to the level of flu for everyone in general because we have tools by which we have turned COVID-19 into almost an endemic virus. If we can continue this and no new variant emerges, this will continue toward endemicity,” Salvana said.
The reason the Philippines has been able to stave off a surge is due to an "immunity wall." That means the Philippines has been using a variety of vaccines.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170310 |
During the “Talk to the People” report, Galvez said the massive vaccination drive and the continuous Prevent, Detect, Isolation, Treat, Reintegration (PDITR) strategy, especially in the National Capital Region and 47 other areas under Alert Level 1, are keeping cases at bay.
Galvez said the Philippines’ immunity wall is strengthened by the type of vaccines used, full primary series vaccination coverage, and the population’s natural immunity to the virus based on past experiences on surges.
“Unlike other countries, they rely on only one platform like mRNA (Messenger ribonucleic acid) or an inactivated platform. The Philippines has a portfolio of eight brands of vaccines, using almost all of the various platforms and we have proven that all of these vaccines are effective,” Galvez said.
American brands Pfizer and Moderna use genetically engineered mRNA vaccines that teach cells how to make a protein to trigger an immune response.
Meanwhile, vector vaccines like the single-dose Janssen and AstraZeneca use a modified version of a virus that is different from the virus being targeted to deliver important instructions to cells.
Sinovac uses inactivated virus particles that have been killed to stimulate our bodies to produce an immune response.
Despite the protection of this wall authorities are still scared there could be a surge which is why they are recommending booster shots.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170283 |
An infectious disease expert on Monday urged fully vaccinated individuals to get their booster shots to prevent another surge of Covid-19 cases.
In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Edsel Salvaña said that the resurgence of infections is a possibility since Covid-19 “showed surprises worldwide”.
"We have tools with which we have turned Covid into almost an endemic virus. Kung mapapagpatuloy pa natin ‘to, wala na pong bagong variant na lumabas, tuloy-tuloy na po ‘yan (If we can continue these, no new variant comes out, these will go on) towards endemicity," he said.
The way things are going it seems that there will likely be a yearly COVID shot just like there's a yearly flu shot.
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