The government under President Rodrigo Duterte laid an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon (including its associated islands), which is effectively a total lockdown in order to circumscribe the movement of the population except for basic necessity, work, and health circumstances, in response to the growing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale. A fettle is not a pandemic merely because it is rangy or kills many people; it must also be infectious.
Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,200 new COVID-19 infections today, raising the country’s total infections to 74,390.The majority of the new cases continues to be from the National Capital Region (1,546), followed by Cebu (246) and Laguna (83) and 28 deaths were also reported, bringing the tally to 1,871.
One of the many negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the reporting of tuberculosis cases in the Philippines.
From January to March this year, the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) of the DOH recorded a total of 88,662 new and relapse TB cases, declining steeply by almost 20% between February (30,728) and March (24,782).
“We see this as a direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on a critical disease prevention and control program like TB,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III. “The quarantine has extremely affected and limited the health seeking behaviors of our fellow Filipinos,” he added.
According to Duque, unlike other health programs, having fewer cases is not an indicator of success for the TB program. “Our goal for our TB program is to find and treat as many TB cases as possible. Only by finding and treating these cases can we limit its spread and achieve our dream of a TB-free Philippines.”
Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases has topped 15 million, including 630,000 deaths.
Many Filipinos not only Filipinos but also the whole world suffered from the pandemic. Jeepney drivers begged of money to buy foods for their family. Workers are tend to walked kilometers away from their home to go to their workplace. The suffering from this covid 19 invade the world with tears, hungerness and economic crisis. Cooperation, discipline and prayers are the key points to fight against Covid 19.
By: MRS. EDITH P. FAJARDO | TEACHER II | BATAAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL | BALANGA CITY, BATAAN
