VACCINE czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is now in isolation with his family after testing positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Galvez, also chief of the National Task Force against COVD-19, said he learned he was infected after undergoing his weekly real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test yesterday.
He said he is experiencing mild symptoms “but remain in high spirits.”
“Members of my immediate family and I are fully vaccinated and have received the booster shot. All of us are under isolation. I would like to apologize to the people whom I have come in contact with over the last five to seven days. I encourage them to have themselves tested and observe their health conditions,” he said in a statement.
Galvez said he will continue to monitor vaccination efforts while in isolation.
“I encourage the unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 jab as soon as possible, and those eligible to take their first and second booster doses,” he said.
Galvez, who is also peace adviser, first underwent isolation in January after being exposed to several staff members who had tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, NTF medical adviser Dr Ted Herbosa said a second booster should be given to everyone as there is enough supply, aside from threats from the Omicron sublineage BA.2.12.1 and BA4.
Herbosa, in an interview with radio dzBB, said the recently approved administration of the second booster is limited to senior citizens, health workers and the immunocompromised.
Galvez has said at least 90 million vaccine doses are in storage and any vaccine that is set to expire will be replaced by the donor COVAX Facility.
As of May 22, some 149 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide, with 68.978 million fully vaccinated individuals and 13.81 million having received boosters.
Herbosa said confirmed cases of BA.2.12 and BA.4 in the country makes it more urgent for the people to get their boosters, especially the vulnerable sectors.
He said although Omicron is not as deadly as the Delta variant, it is highly transmissible and can infect the vulnerable like those with comorbidities and senior citizens.
If more people are infected with the sublineage, it could overwhelm the health system, especially the hospitals, he also said.
As of May 21, there were 2,258 active COVID cases in the country.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, a key member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, directed local government units (LGUs) to be “proactive in its vaccination efforts and seek these people who are eligible for inoculation.”
“The Department of Health’s detection of BA.4 signals the need for a more aggressive action to ensure that the people are vaccinated and protected against this highly contagious variant of COVID-19,” he added.
Año said LGUs have to be aggressive in their vaccination drive. “If we have to go to every house to find out who should be vaccinated, we should do that,” he said.
Año directed the LGUs to tap local pandemic units such as the local COVID-19 task forces and the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams to help in the vaccination drive.
The Department of Health said the best way to protect against “long COVID” is to continue adhering to minimum public health standards.
The DOH issued the advisory a day after Herbosa said Filipinos are now also being afflicted by the post COVID-19 condition. The DOH in January this year warned that 10 to 15 percent of COVID-19 patients may experience the post-COVID-19 condition.
Herbosa though did not provide additional details, except to say that those who suffer from long COVID situation suffers inflammation of the heart, cognitive dysfunctions or a lack of mental focus.
“DOH would like to reassure the general public that the best way to protect families and loved ones against any new COVID-19 variant or even post COVID-19 condition, more commonly known as “long COVID” is to continue practicing minimum public health standards and also to get vaccinated as soon as possible and boosted once eligible,” the DOH said.
The DOH also reiterated the symptoms associated with post-COVID condition such as fatigue, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and joint pain, among others.
“These can be felt usually three months after being infected with the COVID-19 virus, may last for at least two months, and cannot be explained by other conditions,” it added.
The DOH said up to now, there is no test to diagnose long COVID condition even as it advised those who experienced such post-COVID condition to immediately consult a doctor or go to the nearest hospital if they difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, light-headedness or fainting. — With Victor Reyes and Ashzel Hachero
