SOME trigger for anxiety for the ordinary Filipinos on the streets: the reported quiet surge in coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 in some Southeast Asian countries and Hong Kong, which whacked the Philippines from mid March 2020 to 2023.
But there is an encouraging bulletin board from the Department of Health that gives assurance there is “no cause for alarm” despite the chilling reports from overseas.
“We are actively coordinating through established mechanisms like the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations). This gives us verified information, boosting readiness even as we see no cause for alarm,” it said in a weekend statement.
Reports from overseas suggest COVID-19 is making a muted comeback in Asia, with fresh waves of infection reported in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, when new data show it is still very much active – even when respiratory illnesses usually slow down.
Local authorities have said the use of face masks remains optional but is nevertheless recommended by health professionals. The public is once again reminded of proper coughing etiquette and is encouraged to stay home if feeling unwell.
In Singapore, the latest data showed the estimated number of COVID-19 cases in the week ending May 3 increased to 14,000 from 11,100 in the comparative week, with health officials saying there is no indication the variants circulating are more transmissible or cause more severe disease.
Hong Kong itself said its “major surveillance indicators” of COVID-19 reached a one-year high, likely due to “changes in predominant circulating strains and declining herd.”
Its health agency did not provide the total number of cases but said it recorded 81 severe cases among adults, including 30 “fatal cases” in the past four weeks.
In the Philippines as of May 3, the DOH said it recorded 1,774 COVID-19 this year, about 87 percent down from 14,074 recorded in the comparative period.
The case fatality rate is 1.13 percent and recent trends also indicate a “slight decrease” in reported cases over the past three to four weeks.
From 71 cases from March 23 to April 5 this year, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country decreased to 65 cases from April 6 to 19.
Infections in the Philippines, according to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, continues to be at a low level with 1,774 cases from January to May 3 or 87 percent lower (14,074) in the comparative period last year.
COVID, which affected 4.14 million people in over three years from March 2020, allowed 4.06 million to recover, official figures show.
But it killed 694,821 in 2023, reflecting a 2.2 percent increase from 679,766 deaths registered in 2022, which corresponds to a crude death rate 1 of 6.2 or six deaths per 1,000 population.
The DOH bulletin board says, “We are committed to keeping the public informed and will provide timely updates should the situation evolve.
“We encourage everyone to stay informed through official DOH channels, and continue practicing the same preventive measures that protect from other diseases.”