AN infectious disease expert yesterday said the fluctuating number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases is a clear indication that it is becoming endemic in the Philippines.
In a televised public briefing, Dr. Edsel Salvaña said the shifting trend of COVID-19 cases is a sign that the disease is transitioning from being pandemic to endemic.
“What we are seeing now with COVID-19 is it looks like it will already become endemic in the sense that it will just circulate like colds and will never go away… (it) is becoming a regular illness,” Salvaña said.
“For these types of illnesses, there will be fluctuation in the number of cases,” he added.
Salvaña made the statement after the latest COVID-19 case bulletin issued by the Department of Health (DOH) showed that the country recorded an average of 1,296 cases daily for the period of November 7 to 13, and an average of only 907 cases daily for the period of October 31 to November 6.
But Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a press briefing, countered that while COVID-19 is likely en route to endemicity in the Philippines, they do not see it happening in the coming weeks yet.
“We can say that endemicity will come soon. But, right now, it is still quite uncertain,” Vergeire said, adding: “We agree with Doc Edsel that we are approaching that (endemic) point. But, right now, we can’t say that with certainty.”
Vergeire said the country has yet to meet all four criteria of reaching the endemic state.
In particular, the DOH officer-in-charge said the low booster shot coverage disables the country from maintaining a high wall of immunity, while the entry of new subvariants have allowed some infections to evade immunity.
“We are not yet certain and cannot be confident yet because our immunity is still low because of low booster coverage, and also the effects of the subvariants to our immunity,” Vergeire said.
As of November 14, almost 73.7 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, but merely 20.8 million individuals have received their first booster doses.
On the other hand, Vergeire said the Philippines might have already achieved the other two factors of endemicity — that COVID-19 numbers are already acceptable to society and having a minimal number of severe cases and deaths.
“This means that having such cases won’t require declaring public health emergency because these are already accepted by society, that these diseases are here. And also, the number of deaths and severe cases are kept at a minimum, and also acceptable to the society,” said Vergeire.
According to the latest COVID-19 trend, all island groups are showing a slight uptick in cases in recent days. The decline in severe and critical admissions have also slowed down in the past few days.
Salvaña said the government should start shifting its focus to the monitoring of severe and critical cases alongside the healthcare utilization rate.
“Whatever number of cases we have, as long as majority are mild cases, it will not be a huge burden to the health system, wherein hospitals will need to close,” he said.
Similarly, he said it is imperative for all eligible Filipinos to get their COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots to reduce the possibilities of developing severe cases of the disease.
“It is very important that we maintain vaccination. If the government tells us we need to get boosted, then let us get that booster shot,” said Salvaña.
Add to this, he said, is the rational use of face masks despite the easing of the masking policy.
“As long as there is that risk, if you want to get better protection, we can use it (face masks) as an additional tool for public health prevention,” he said.The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) yesterday said President Marcos Jr. had himself tested for COVID-19 as part of the health protocols for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Thailand from November 16 to 19.
OPS made the announcement on Facebook at the heels of reports that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen tested positive for COVID-19 and had to cancel his attendance to the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
Marcos arrived on Monday from Cambodia where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summit that the Prime Minister hosted.
“The President had himself tested as part of the health protocol for the APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. He also instructed members of the official delegation to Cambodia to have themselves tested. The President extends his wishes to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for a speedy recovery,” the OPS said.
Results of the test were not yet available.
The President attended a meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Malacañang on Tuesday. Among those present in the face-to-face meeting were Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Secretary Zenaida Angpin, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA director general, Arsenio Balisacan.
Marcos also administered the oath of office to members of the Association of Women Legislators Foundation Inc. that was also held in Malacañang. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
