The “underreporting” of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines is a serious matter and may affect the decision on whether to downgrade or upgrade the country’s alert level, a public health expert said in a radio interview on Sunday, Jan. 23.
“Malaking bagay po kapag underreported. Maaaring mag decide ang ating mga government na minsan magbaba ng alert level kung underreported (It is a serious matter if the cases are underreported. Our government officials may decide to downgrade the alert level if the cases were underreported),” public health expert and former National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon said in an interview over DZRH.
Leachon then cited the situation in Metro Manila where the number of COVID-19 cases, as well as the region’s COVID-19 growth rate, are decreasing.
“For example in Metro Manila na nakita natin na bumababa ang growth rate, bumababa ang number of cases, but is this the real picture? Reflective ba siya in total data? (For example, in Metro Manila where the growth rate is decreasing, the number of cases is decreasing, but is it the real picture? Is it reflective in the total data?),” he said.
He likewise said that he is against the “possible” decision to downgrade the country’s alert level amid the ongoing surge of infections.
Instead, he suggested that the national government should ramp up the country’s vaccination drive while the COVID-19 growth rate is decreasing.
“Ako, personally, ako ay tutol d’yan. Wag muna nila ibaba kasi pag binaba nila ‘yan, di pa natin alam ang tunay na picture n’yan lalo’t may problema tayo sa vaccination sa countryside (Personally, I am against that. I suggest they don’t downgrade the alert level status because we don’t know the real picture yet, especially now that we have a problem in our vaccinations at the countryside),” he said.
Meanwhile, on Jan. 18, the Department of Health (DOH) admitted that the reported infections in the country were “understated” for several reasons.
First, is that those who didn’t have themselves tested via the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test or antigen test were not included in the data.
Additionally, DOH said that there are those individuals who are unknowingly infected, that’s why there were not detected, hence, not included in the country’s total confirmed cases.