More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2259232/expert-most-covid-19-cases-now-mild-despite-qc-spike |
Most COVID-19 infections currently circulating in the country are generally mild and resolve within a few days, an infectious disease expert said Tuesday, urging the public to remain cautious but not alarmed despite a recent localized spike in cases reported in Quezon City.
Speaking on state-run PTV-4 on Tuesday, Dr. Rontgene Solante of San Lazaro Hospital said the current rise in COVID-19 cases in Quezon City should not be a cause for public concern because the prevailing variants are no longer associated with severe disease in most patients.
“This is not something to be concerned about because most of the COVID-19 cases we encountered only experienced mild symptoms such as colds and coughs, and would eventually recover within three to four days,” he said.
Solante explained that the increase in COVID-19 cases in Quezon City was “normal,” as it coincides with the rainy season from June to November, when respiratory viral infections—including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and COVID-19—typically become more common.
He stressed that while infections continue to occur, the circulating COVID-19 variants are the same strains that have been spreading since 2024, which are “no longer as virulent and are generally not associated with severe illness or death.”
Data from the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) showed that confirmed Covid-19 cases increased by over 265 percent to 84 from June 11 to July 1, up from 23 cases recorded between May 21 and June 10.
Since January, the Quezon City government has recorded a total of 146 confirmed cases.
Of the recent cases, only 17 or 14 percent required hospital admission, while 108 or 86 percent were managed as outpatients, according to the Department of Health.Around 70 percent, or the majority of the patients, have already recovered.
Children aged 14 years and below accounted for the largest share of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 30 percent.
Meanwhile, adults aged 25 to 29, and senior citizens aged 60 and above each accounted for 16 percent of cases.
Solante said the large number of COVID-19 cases among children aged 14 and below in Quezon City may be due to increased exposure in schools, where classrooms are often crowded and students interact closely with one another.
“Children in this age group are already attending school, and classrooms are usually crowded. Some students have colds or coughs, so transmission can easily occur,” he said.
Children below age 14 make up the majority of cases. Has the vaccine worn off? Did it ever work?
Experts are warning parents to stay vigilant but and refraining from panicking.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2261183/health-experts-to-parents-stay-vigilant-on-covid-19-dont-panic |
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) has called on parents to remain vigilant against COVID-19 amid an uptick in infections, but stressed that there is no reason for alarm, as recent cases have been less severe.
In a statement on Facebook on Thursday, the group reminded the public that COVID-19 continues to circulate in communities, and that the actual number of cases may be higher than reported because many people are no longer getting tested for the virus when they develop respiratory symptoms.
However, the group also stressed that there is “no need to panic,” noting that “there is currently no evidence that the circulating strains are causing more severe illness than those seen in recent years.”
“Most children continue to experience mild disease, although infants, children with underlying conditions, and other vulnerable individuals remain at higher risk for complications,” PIDSP said.
The group called on parents to remain vigilant and take several precautions to prevent the spread of the disease and other respiratory illnesses, including staying at home should they or their children develop signs of a respiratory disease, such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, among others.
PIDSP also advised the public to wear face masks in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor areas, and when they are sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The public was also urged to avoid unnecessary crowds if they are already unwell or if COVID-19 is reportedly circulating in their area.
The group added that individuals who develop symptoms of the virus should consider getting tested for COVID-19, especially before returning to school or work or when visiting someone at higher risk for complications.
It also called on parents to immediately seek medical attention if their children have difficulty breathing, persistent high fever, signs of dehydration, and unusual sleepiness.
“There is no need for alarm, but this is a good time to renew healthy habits that have helped keep our families safe,” the group said.
On July 5, the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) reported that cases of COVID-19 in the city have increased by 265.22 percent in a span of three weeks. It said confirmed cases rose to 84 from June 11 to July 1, from just 23 in May 21 to June 10.
QCESD said total cases of COVID-19 in Quezon City for this year was now at 146, and urged the public to take preventive measures to prevent the further spread of infections.
The health monitoring unit later stressed that there is no cause for alarm as reported cases have been mild with no evidence of clustering or severe illness.
Just renew healthy habits they say. But really, if COVID is supposed to be endemic now and part of the regular cast of rotating viruses, then why is this news?
COVID-19 cases are rising in Baguio but the mayor says the situation remains manageable.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/746399/rise-of-covid-19-cases-in-baguio-remains-manageable-mayor |
Since the beginning of 2026, the city has logged 41 confirmed Covid-19 cases, and while infections are increasing since May, Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured residents that the situation remains under control.
Magalong stated on Saturday, July 11, that the reported infections have all been mild and there is “no cause for alarm.”
He noted that most of the confirmed cases involve healthcare workers and hospital personnel rather than the general public.
“The circulating virus is Covid-19 itself, cases reported have been mild, and there is no cause for alarm,” the mayor said.
According to Magalong, the City Health Services Office, in coordination with hospitals, is closely monitoring the cases and implementing measures to contain infections within health facilities.
The mayor directed local health authorities to remain vigilant and strengthen infection prevention measures in hospitals while assuring residents that healthcare facilities remain safe and fully capable of serving the public.
Magalong also urged the public to continue observing basic health precautions, including wearing face masks in crowded areas, washing hands regularly, and staying home when experiencing symptoms of illness.
He said the city government will continue to provide updates as necessary and called on residents to respond with “calm and confidence, not fear.”
One local doctor has assessed the situation in the nation and has the following advice.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/14/covid-19-whats-new-and-should-we-be-worried |
Last week, I received a flurry of messages from friends and strangers when the Quezon City government announced a 265 percent increase in Covid-19 cases over the last three weeks. Despite the pandemic having ended three years ago, many people still get anxious whenever there is a spike in cases.
The unprecedented lockdowns and deaths during the pandemic are still seared into people’s memories. Many of us, especially health care workers, have some form of post-traumatic stress disorder from those terrible times.
While a 265 percent increase sounds alarming, it is important to put this into perspective. If you read the report closely, the actual numbers are an increase from 23 to 84 cases. A total of 146 cases have been recorded for 2026. Most of these were managed as outpatients and a little over 10 percent were admitted with no reported deaths. About 70 percent have recovered while 30 percent are still active cases as of this writing.
Addressing this concern, the Department of Health also pointed out that nationwide, total cases of Covid-19 are actually lower compared with last year, from 3,579 cases in 2025 to the current 719 cases as of June 20, 2026.
What are the possible reasons for this increase? First, these numbers likely represent only a small number of the actual cases circulating since routine testing for Covid-19 is no longer done. From a healthcare perspective, we only routinely test those patients who are at risk for progression to severe disease or who already have severe disease. Other reasons for testing might be routine surveillance by the health department as well as contact tracing for epidemiologic investigation. Without proper context, it is very difficult to determine whether this represents an accurate picture of case numbers in the community.
Second, overall trends are more important than one of two data points which can just be a random spike. Finally, it is important to look at these case numbers on a per capita basis since there are three million people who live in Quezon City, not counting transients.
Since Covid-19 has become endemic, we expect it to exhibit some seasonality just like other respiratory viruses like influenza. There will be some periods of the year where we will see an increase. This is part of the natural selection process where SARS-CoV-2 needs to find its niche among the different seasonal respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV. There are no new variants of SARS-CoV-2 that have recently made an appearance. The latest designated variant under monitoring (VUM) is still XFG, which was designated as such in 2025.
Unfortunately, we currently have no genomic data to describe the current cohort of cases, but unless the increase is sustained, there is no reason to believe that a new local variant is emerging.
Nevertheless, these increases in cases need to be carefully monitored like other seasonal viruses such as the flu. They can increase pressure on the healthcare system especially when more than one respiratory virus is resurgent. In addition, an increase in the number of cases should prompt mitigation strategies and risk reduction measures for the most vulnerable.
At these times, the elderly and the immunocompromised should wear good quality masks and be extra careful around crowds. We still don't have any updated vaccines that have been approved locally, but the old vaccines seem to still be protecting us. Mortality for previously vaccinated individuals who get Covid-19 remains low. Yearly updated vaccines are being released in the US and other developed countries. Unfortunately, our local FDA has not approved any of these updated vaccines for release.
Medications remain effective against the current SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants. We don't have remdesivir available locally anymore, but nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) is still available and still works on the most recent variants. There are ongoing efforts by local medical groups such as the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) to convince pharmaceutical companies to market remdesivir anew since it is the only approved drug for severe Covid-19.
Paxlovid remains effective for decreasing the risk of progression of mild and moderate Covid-19 to severe Covid-19. However, it is quite expensive compared to remdesivir. There is one other effective oral drug for preventing mild to moderate Covid-19 from progressing to severe Covid-19. Ensitrelvir, an inhibitor of the protease enzyme used by SARS-CoV-2, has been approved in Japan and is used in a similar fashion as Paxlovid but is currently not available or approved in the Philippines.
Most recently, ensitrelvir has been found to be effective when used as post-exposure prophylaxis. Post-exposure prophylaxis means that someone who has already been exposed to Covid-19 can take the medication to prevent the disease altogether. Ensitrelvir was found to decrease the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR by 67 percent if taken shortly after exposure to a Covid-19 infected person. This is a significant development because neither remdesivir nor Paxlovid were ever shown to prevent the development of Covid-19 symptoms in similar post-exposure prophylaxis studies.
What has been previously effective for post-exposure prophylaxis has been monoclonal antibodies which are quite expensive and need to be infused intravenously. Moreover, some of the monoclonal antibodies lost efficacy as new variants emerged, which shouldn’t be a major issue with ensitrelvir since it isn’t an antibody. This means that there is now an oral drug that can be given to the vulnerable population if they are exposed to a known Covid-19 case, especially if they haven’t gotten an updated vaccine booster.
Covid-19 continues to evolve but it seems to be settling into an endemic niche and is no longer the deadly disease it once was. There is no indication of a more deadly and more transmissible new variant so there is no need to overreact or panic. We still have effective medications, and non-pharmacologic interventions such as masks. Listen to reliable sources of information and see your doctor if you get sick and are concerned it might be Covid-19.
COVID-19 is now an endemic niche disease. Nothing to see here folks!
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