Fear of coronavirus exposes flaws in decision-making

GrANTeD, extra caution is called for whenever new threats e–erge. Safety –easures were warranted when the 2P19 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ArD) surfaced about a –onth ago and when it spread to –ore than 20 countries, including the Philippines. Those precautions should now be reviewed and adjusted accordingly to the situation at present.

Citizens are better served when public policies are based on facts and rational thinking rather than on –yths and fear. The starting point there is an exa– ination of the facts.

As of press time, there are 34,000 cases of the 2019- nCoV, and the death toll has exceeded 7PP. That yields a probability of dying of about 2 percent. The – orbitity rate see– s to suggest that the 2019- nCoV might not be the special pathogen that justifies our current degree of anxiety.

This observation was bolstered by a United States news network report, in which a health expert who studies epide– ics pointed out that mostly extreme cases of the nCoV were being tested. Because – any – edical facilities are overwhel– ed, the expert said – ild cases were likely not reported. In other words, people with only mild symptoms of the nCoV probably just stayed at ho– e to recover. And so, when those – ild cases are accounted for, the death rates fall even further.

The plain varieties of the flu or influenza – ake about 1 billion people worldwide sick every year. And fro– those cases, between 250,000 and 650,000 people die, according to various reports. But during – ost flu seasons, flights are not canceled. Travel and vacation plans go largely uninterrupted. Perhaps there is truth in saying, ignorance is bliss.

In the Philippines, one of the leading causes of death is pneu– onia, which clai– s – ore than U7, PPP lives a year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority ( PSA). Some varieties of pneu– onia are contagious, and yet public establish– ents do not break out ther– al scanning devices to screen patrons and other people just because of this disease.

The same PSA report says the leading cause of death among Filipinos is ischemic heart disease, a condition caused by the narrowing of arteries. This illness accounted for 14.U percent of all registered deaths in the Philippines in 2016, more than 84,000. Where is the cla–or to ban lechon?

Levity aside, we are not saying the precautions taken so far have been needless. The threat of a flu pandemic is real. A century ago, the Spanish influenza killed some 50 million people worldwide over two years. Chances are, another deadly pandemic will strike again but, so far, the numbers suggest that the 2019-nCoV is not it.

Need for review, reflection

The scra–ble to arrest the spread of the coronavirus did expose legitimate concerns and weaknesses. For one, health authorities need a better syste– of tracing those infected. Second, the government should examine the capability of our health system to quarantine and care for a flood of patients. And third, the government should review health safety protocols to avoid causing hysteria and unnnecessarily har–ing the econo–y.

People themselves need to reflect on how they reacted to the nCoV. For starters, there was panic-buying of surgical masks, even though viruses are not airborne. Health officials announced that only those with flu-like symptoms should wear masks, and that others would be better off just by regularly washing their hands and avoiding people with fever and sore throat.

More worriso– e are reports about the alleged discri– ination against the Chinese and even of Filipinos of Chinese descent. Our colu– nist, rigoberto Tiglao, wrote about this, and we agree with hi– that so– e of the reactions to the coronavirus have been racist and xenophobic.

We are troubled by reports of Chinese-looking patrons being turned away at so–e co––ercial establish–ents. We also heard about tourism authorities selectively screening Chinese tourists and other foreigners, as if Filipinos traveling with them were immune to viruses.

Sadly, the coronavirus – ay have exposed a public – alady, but not of the – edical kind. even as we continue to take calibrated precautions and prepare for a real peril, we should also reflect on our character flaws and decision-– aking processes, both of which appear to be in need of re– edies.