While the new Delta coronavirus variant should not stir up panic, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) urged the public to stay alert and be more vigilant amidst the threat of the said variant, which - according to experts - is highly contagious.
“The new Delta Variant should not cause panic but to alert our fellow Filipinos that there is still a threat of the new variant,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a statement issued Saturday, July 17.
Gordon called for vigilance with the rise of the COVID0-19 Delta variant based on the report of the Department of Health (DOH) which confirmed 16 new cases in the Philippines as of July 16.
The PRC noted that there is a need for the public to be alerted since country’s COVID-19 pandemic response task force, Gordon said, recently allowed children aged five and above to go outdoors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ - as long as the areas are not under heightened restrictions.
Support for frontliners
Meanwhile, Gordon also called for support to the frontliners - particularly in Cagayan De Oro and Misamis Oriental.
As Philippine authorities are “scrambling on tightening restrictions on social movement” in response to locally acquired cases of the Delta coronavirus variant, Gordon called for massive mobilization of resources to protect frontliners in the affected regions.
“We need to ensure 100 percent vaccination of all health workers and additional PPEs will be needed in all hospitals and health centers big and small,” Gordon said - noting that more PPEs should be given to the frontliners in Mindanao.
“We don’t have enough doctors and nurses there,” Gordon said. “We need to make sure they are vaccinated, suited up, and prepared,” he added.
Gordon further emphasized the need to deploy good health communicators who “can explain how contagious this virus is in the local languages is critical.” He added that information should be given to the people so that they may know the need to avoid indoor gatherings and wear properly fitted masks.
Ambulance units, he added, need to be prepared for the transfer of non-COVID patients in a safe way. He also called for the “immediate ramping up” of treatment protocols for those who are sick.
“We cannot get genome sequencing for every patient but it’s enough to know that a few cases could rise exponentially within weeks,” Gordon said. “The Delta Variant has milder symptoms among the vaccinated so this is a high priority area - we need to be agile and nimble,” he added.
Given this, Gordon is pushing for more move vaccines to these regions, deploy additional people, and most importantly, vaccinate all senior citizens.
“We may not be able to prevent it. The spread and hopefully illness will be mild - but we should focus on preventing unnecessary death through vaccination and treatment,” he added.
What can be done
As the leading organization for COVID-19 tests in the country, PRC reiterated the importance of regular testing to isolate the asymptomatic spreaders.
The PRC has also started to ramp up its vaccination efforts vs COVID-19.
Gordon urged those who are not yet vaccinated to get their COVID-19 jabs. “If you are vaccinated, still observe social distancing, wear your face masks, and wash your hands regularly,” he added.
To date, PRC has six accredited “Resbakuna” Centers in Philippine Logistics Multipurpose Center in Mandaluyong, Pasay, Chung Hua Iligan, PRC Kabaka, PRC Letran, and PRC Tarlac.