A local health expert believes that the Covid-19 virus, which started to spread worldwide in 2020, is still considered a global concern but no longer a health emergency.
Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Rontgene Solante made this statement following the recent meeting of members of the World Health Organization to discuss if Covid-19 still qualifies the definition of a public health emergency of international concern , which was declared last Jan. 30, 2020. The WHO has yet to announce its decision.
“As we move on, if it is not a public health emergency, it is still a concern, why?—the vulnerable population will always be the target of higher risk of severe cases and this is where we should focus on protecting the vulnerable population: the elderly, those who have comorbidities and immunocompromised,” he added.“We already have a lot of these antiviral agents that can really prevent severe infections,” he noted.
If the PHEIC is lifted, the Philippines must continue to implement its measures against Covid-19 to maintain the low number of new cases and prevent further deaths, said Solante. The government should also make sure that the vaccination continues and that antiviral medicines remain accessible, especially for the vulnerable population.
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