THE Private Hospitals Association Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) yesterday said most of the severe and critical COVID-19 cases being admitted in hospitals are not vaccinated against the coronavirus disease.
In a televised public briefing, PHAPI President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said they agree with the statement of the Department of Health (DOH) that majority of those that have developed severe or critical symptoms of COVID-19 are unvaccinated or are only partially vaccinated.
“We have noticed that these patients that are not fully vaccinated are those progressing to severe and critical cases,” De Grano said.
“There are also those unvaccinated that are being admitted as critical and severe cases,” he said, adding that such cases mostly involve senior citizens.
“There are also those that are immunocompromised and have pre-existing diseases,” he said.
But De Grano dismissed the reported increase in severe and critical cases recently, saying it was not significant.
“We can still cope with the number, unlike before when the number of severe and critical cases surged,” he said.
Earlier, the DOH said it has observed a slow increase in severe and critical COVID cases in recent weeks.
Among the admitted severe and critical cases, the numbers climbed from 9.3 percent last August 7 to 9.6 percent last August 14 and to 9.7 percent last August 21.