By Hannah Torregoza Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday disputed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III’s claim that there is still no evidence that people positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) but do not manifest symptoms cannot infect others. Sen. Nancy Binay
(Senate of the Philippines) She said that the World Health Organization (WHO) had warned earlier about the potential of asymptomatic patients to spread the contagion earlier. Binay, in her manifestation during the Senate committee of the whole hearing on government’s COVID-19 response, said, “Hindi po sinabi ng World Health Organization na hindi nakakahawa ang mga walang symptoms ng COVID-19,” Binay said. (WHO did not state that asymptomatic persons cannot infect others with COVID-19.) “In the website of WHO, ito po ang kanilang sinabi sa Situation Report 73 dated April 2 on Asymptomatic Transmission: ‘There are few reports of laboratory confirmed cases who are truly asymptomatic, and to date, there has been no documented asymptomatic transmission,” she quoted. She further quoted the WHO report that “this does not exclude the possibility that it may occur." As to questions regarding coronaviruses, Binay pointed out that the WHO itself said that "Some reports have indicated that people with no symptoms can transmit the virus. It is not known yet how often it happens.” “Sobrang nakakabahala kung ang Secretary of Health na mismo ang nagsasabi ng maling information tungkol sa COVID-19 (It is alarming, if the Secretary of Health himself is giving wrong information about COVID-19),” Binay lamented. For his part, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also expressed his disappointment on Duque’s pronouncement that the Philippines is now actually on the second wave of infection. “I think we are the only country in the world that has admitted we are on the second wave… the three Chinese nationals that he mentioned as the first wave was not even a ripple. How can that even be a wave?” Zubiri also manifested during the hearing. The senator also said medical doctors and frontliners have been commenting that Duque made a ridiculous statement that sowed panic among many groups, especially businessmen. “Because, now they have to explain to their employees and to their potential clients that when we reopen, we are on the second wave. Saying that we are on the second wave actually shows the incompetence on the part of the department or personnel because that means we were not able to control the first wave,” he said. Zubiri called on the government to correct Duque’s statements because it is “sowing panic among the people.” “And we are going to come out now in international circles as the first country to hit the second wave. So they should be very careful with their statements,” he stressed.