Despite the “slight increase” in Metro Manila’s Covid-19 growth rate, a health reform advocate said that the occurrence of another Covid-19 surge before the May 2022 polls remains less likely.
Health reform advocate and former special adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon, on Monday, May 2, said that the dreaded Covid-19 surge before the election day is unlikely to happen.
“Definitely nakakita tayo ng bahagyang pagtaas sa National Capital Region (NCR), yung tinatawag nating growth rate ay tumaas nang bahagya – mga 7 percent. Para sa akin, with one week to go, not enough na mag-cause po ‘yan ng problema sa atin (We have definitely seen a slight increase in NCR. This is what we call growth rate and it has increased slightly at about 7 percent. For me, with only one week to go, that is not enough to cause us problems),” said Leachon in an interview over DZRH.
The expert added that current hospital admissions due to the disease remain very low at 21 percent while the country’s Covid-19 positivity rate is at 1.4 percent.
However, he added that the dreaded re-emergence may occur after the election.
“Kung sakali mang tumaas - yan ay after the election. Baka last week ng Mayo doon sa waning ng immunity natin (If ever it rises, it may take place after the election. Maybe in the last week of May because of waning immunity),” Leachon added.
Major factors that contribute to the re-emergence of infections include the arrival of new variants, waning immunity, and non-compliance to minimum public health standards, the expert enumerated.
Meanwhile, seven days before the May 2022 polls, Leachon urged the public to get boosted against the disease, reiterating that this may prevent breakthrough infections.