Now that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has reached 1 million, experts have some suggestions for finally curbing the spread of the virus.
Proper and effective contact tracing is the main recommendation of the Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) comprised of more than 100 medical societies in the Philippines.
The patient should also automatically be able to see which isolation center or hospital he or she can be admitted to. Real time data is what they need.
The UP Pandemic Response team said that good data is important for responding to the pandemic.
“Accuracy and reliability ng data is important because it should guide us in decision making… [Kung] ‘yung data mo ay hindi up-to-date o may butas-butas mahihirapan ka ngayon,” said Dr. Kristoffer Berse, member of UP Pandemic Response team.
The UP Pandemic Response team and HPAAC both agree that testing in the country should be further improved.
“We are not testing enough. The ideal positivity rate is 5 percent, according to WHO,” said Dr. Aileen Espina, steering committee member of HPAAC.
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She said it is good that antigen testing has been allowed in the communities but she warned that testing should still be targeted at those with symptoms and exposed to the sick due to lack of supply, Espina said.
The UP Pandemic Response team also believes that LGUs should be encouraged to implement localized lockdown.
“Ang importante lang we would be able to identify clearly and on time the hotspots and the clusters kasi ‘yun ang magiging basehan aling areas ang magla-lockdown,” said Berse.
For the OCTA Research Group, it is important to start long-term solutions to the country’s health problems.
“Maraming mga institutional reforms na kailangan talaga. Number one, we need to strengthen the public health system in the country. That includes strengthening public hospitals, expanding their capacity,” said OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye.
“Kailangan ho talaga nagtutulungan ang komunidad at private sector… We all have roles to play. Kailangan maganda ang bayanihan. That’s the only way we get out, importante may solidarity tayo,” he added.
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