Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Monday, April 5, said the coronavirus "has gone berserk" and the Philippines seemed to be on "autopilot".
(Joseph Vidal / Senate PRIB / FILE PHOTO)
‘’The coronavirus has gone berserk. While it is on ‘at-will’ mode, we are like, on autopilot. We can’t feel someone is in charge,’’ Lacson said on Twitter Monday, April 5, as the daily viral infection rate hovers above the level of 10,000 cases in the recent days.
‘’Sobrang malas! (Our luck is cursed),’’ the chairman of the Senate national defense committee lamented.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian meanwhile expressed hopes over the expected arrival of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines. He said the Russian vaccine is a "good brand".
The arrival of other vaccines from different countries are also expected this month.
‘’Hopefully po, wala nang delay (there will be no more delays),’’ Gatchalian said in a television interview.
During the interview, Gatchalian said people should be guided by doctors and medical experts on what medical treatment is acceptable.
He specifically referred to the calls for the use anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin for the COVID-19 treatment, in which the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has not given its approval yet.
Gatchalian cited one of the FDA experts as saying that Ivermectin might cause brain damage.
‘’Kung hindi po binibigyan ng pahintulot ng FDA natin huwag na ho nating pilitin (Let us not insist when the FDA has not given its approval),’’ he said.
‘’Ang punto lang natin, makinig tayo sa FDA, huwag nating ipilit kung talagang hindi pwede (Our point is, let us listen to the DA. Let us not insist when it is not really applicable),’’ he added.