Doctors warn against loosening quarantine

A week before President Duterte is expected to announce new levels of quarantine, the medical community advised the government to be cautious about further easing control measures, as new infections have yet to drop to a significant level. while there is a steady increase in the number of serious and serious cases. critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 noted on Tuesday that while the number of new COVID-19 cases was slowly declining, further relaxation of quarantine measures still needed careful consideration as the country raced. the risk of seeing another increase in infections. .

“Now we can see a slow decrease in the number of new cases, but it has not dropped to a significant level. Right now we are in general quarantine of the community, where we have somehow relaxed. However, we can already see that many people ignore or do not follow health protocols, ”said Dr. Maricar Limpin of the Philippine College of Physicians, one of the main organizers of the alliance.

Manila beach crowd

For example, Limpin said that when authorities opened an artificial white-sand beach on the coast of Manila Bay on Sunday, hundreds of people flocked to the area and did not observe the physical distancing.

“That is why we repeatedly say to think about this. If we really want to control this pandemic effectively, we must follow all health protocols, which include the use of masks and face shields and maintain a distance of 1 meter, “said Limpin.

Amid calls to further relax the six-month quarantine measures, Dr. Antonio Dans, a spokesman for the alliance made up of more than 160 medical societies, said the question now is whether all sectors of society are already at that point they can say they are ready to dance with the virus.

“Are we ready? It’s transportation [sector] Ready to implement all the security measures? Are employers prepared to ensure that the workplace is safe? Are the people ready? [to strictly observe the] wearing masks, face shields and observing physical distancing? Dans asked.

“Because if the answer is that we are ready to dance with the virus, that we already know everything to do, then why not? We should ease the confinement, “he added.

In addition to the number of new infections, Limpin said the government should investigate the growing number of patients who are seriously or critically ill.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that as of August 1, there were only 350 patients classified as severe, while 246 were critical. By September 1, there were 620 seriously ill patients, while those in critical condition had risen to 908.

As of September 20, the numbers had skyrocketed to 742 serious cases and 1,728 critical cases.

Intensive care patients

“While there have been fewer cases in recent weeks, we are seeing more patients who need to be placed in the intensive care unit. Due to this situation, our [medical] the front line still can’t rest, ”Limpin said.

He explained that one of the reasons that patients appear to be sicker this time is because many of them do not seek medical help early in the illness. He noted that some waited up to a week before seeing a doctor.

“By then, her condition had already worsened,” Limpin said.

“That is why we emphasize… the need to improve our health-seeking behavior. That once you feel bad, consult a doctor … There are ways to prevent the progression of the disease. Therefore, it is important that patients are treated at the right time so that their condition does not worsen, “he added.

On Tuesday, DOH recorded an additional 1,635 infections, the lowest daily increase on record this month. This is the second time this month that cases have increased by less than 2,000.

On September 3, cases rose only in 1987, but at that time, 22 labs did not submit their data to DOH on time. This time, only nine labs were unable to submit their data on time.

Metro Manila accounted for a third of the new infections with 583, followed by Cavite (102), Iloilo (97), Rizal (67) and Cebu (57). The total number of confirmed coronavirus infections stood at 291,789.

Of the recently reported cases, 1,435 became ill between September 9 and 22, while 98 became ill in August.

Deaths pass the 5,000 mark

There were a total of 230,643 patients who had recovered from COVID-19 with 450 more recovering. The death toll, however, passed the 5,000 mark when 50 patients succumbed to severe respiratory illness, bringing the total to 5,049.

Thirty-eight of the patients died in September, eight in August, three in July, and one in April. Twenty were from Metro Manila, 10 from Western Visayas, eight from Calabarzon, four from Central Luzon, three from Zamboanga, two from the Cordillera Administrative Region, and one from Bicol, Central Visayas, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Deaths and recoveries left the country with 56,097 active cases, of which 86.4 percent were mild, 9.2 percent asymptomatic, 1.3 percent severe, and 3.1 percent critical. INQ

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