Delta ‘doomsday’ feared
Health group warns Phl over virulent, deadly strain The government cannot handle an Indonesia-like surge. Even the (mechanical) ventilators are not enough
With the World Health Organization (WHO) warning humankind is “losing its Covid-19 pandemic test,” the Philippines may just find itself overwhelmed by the virus’ more virulent Delta variant.
A local group of health workers painted dire consequences for the
Philippines like what’s happening across Indonesia if the surge in the Delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 is not contained.
“It’s really scary if the cases continue to rise like in Indonesia. We are sorely lacking. Our government will not be able to handle it,” Alliance of Health Workers national president Robert Mendoza said in a television interview.
Indonesia is seeing a fresh surge in Covid-19 infections, described by its local media as “catastrophic” and “doomsdaylike.” As of 19 July, the country has recorded 76,200 deaths from 2.95 million total cases.
Mendoza said a surge caused by the
highly transmissible Delta variant, which can infect five to eight persons at any given time, may easily overwhelm the country’s health system.
“The health facilities in the country’s far-flung areas are not really enough,” Mendoza said, adding reports of health workers resigning out of fear of infecting their families are coming in.
Low compensation
He said the health sector is now experiencing difficulties in recruiting health workers not only because of their fear for their own and their loved ones’ safety, but also because of low compensation and benefits vis-à-vis the high risks.
Mendoza said the country’s hospitals and medical facilities have long been grappling with the issue of medical brain drain even before the pandemic struck when Covid-19 first reared its head in Wuhan, China in 2019.
“The understaffing in our hospitals is very serious. A lot of us are still contractual workers,” he pointed out. Labor is not the only issue; facilities and equipment, too, he added.
Specifically, he said the number of ventilators in Philippine hospitals will not be enough in case of a surge.
“The government cannot handle an Indonesia-like surge. Even the (mechanical) ventilators are not enough,” he said.
Data from the Department of Health (DoH) showed that as of 20 July, 35 percent of the country’s over 2,800 mechanical ventilators are currently in use. Of the number, 1,100 total ventilators are already in use in the National Capital Region.
A mechanical ventilator supports the breathing process — pumping air into the lungs for patients with respiratory issues like severe Covid-19.
Mendoza also said the combined number of intensive care unit beds in both public and private hospitals designated for Covid-19 patients will not be enough for the feared surge.
Eight active cases
The Philippines has so far detected 35 individuals with the Delta variant, of which eight remained active cases.
Four were detected in Cagayan de Oro, one each in Misamis Occidental and Manila, and two were returning overseas Filipinos.
All of the active cases were tagged asymptomatic and were in the process of completing their 14-day quarantine.
The DoH said retesting had to be done after 16 Delta cases initially tagged by local government units (LGU) as recovered still turned in positive results.
Amid fears that Delta cases may overwhelm the country, the government may restore stricter restrictions in the country, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Among the restrictions that may be reimposed includes prohibiting minors anew from going outside their homes, said presidential spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque.
“It is scientifically proven that the Delta variant is more contagious and deadlier, so the President said we may reimpose stricter measures. For now, it appears that we will revert to stricter rules,” he said in an interview.
IATF meeting
The Palace official added that members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will convene today to discuss actions to be taken, especially on “high-risk” areas.
Metro Manila mayors have urged IATF to reimpose the prohibition, saying young people may become “super spreaders” of the Delta variant.
“Our experts, including pediatricians, have met and come up with a recommendation regarding the policy allowing children aged 5 to 17 years to go outside and they will present it to the IATF on Thursday,” Roque said.
Roque added that while the Palace recognizes the need to contain the spread of Covid-19, tougher lockdowns cannot just be imposed since it will leave more Filipinos jobless and families hungry.
He said the government will base the imposition of stricter quarantine classifications on Covid-19 data, particularly on the daily attack rates, two-week attack rates, and health care utilization rates.
“It is important to curb Covid-19 transmission, but it is also important to decrease the number of hungry Filipinos due to lockdowns,” Roque said.
He, likewise, assured Filipinos residing in areas placed under the strictest lockdown classification or enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) of cash aid.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has pledged financial assistance in provinces under ECQ and he will deliver on his commitment. In the proper time, the national government would provide aid in your areas,” Roque said.
Covid surge
So far, the provinces of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro, as well as the City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental, had been placed under ECQ until the end of July following a dramatic increase in coronavirus infections.
Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Butuan City in Agusan del Norte were under modified ECQ, a more relaxed quarantine status compared to ECQ.
Other regions or provinces were placed under varying levels of community quarantine depending on the Covid-19 situation.
First detected in India, the Delta variant raised concern among health experts since it was found to be more infectious than other virus types including the Wuhan strain.
As of Monday, the country has confirmed 1.51 million Covid-19 cases, of which over 46,000 were active.
At the start of the Olympics (see related story on page 23), WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus said the “world is failing” to stop the spread of Covid-19 due to an uneven vaccine rollout.
Tedros warned that on Covidrelated deaths this year are already more than double last year’s total, year-on-year.
Two months after sweeping India, the Delta variant crisis has hit Indonesia and cases attributed to the strain are rising fast in Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and even Japan.