THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

It was something many of us prayed for – the advent of the day we wished would come soon.
The prayers were answered and the wish seemed to have been granted. Friday of last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general made the formal announcement that the so-called global health emergency fueled by the spread of the Covid-19 virus “is over.” In simple terms, according to WHO, the Covid-19 pandemic has come to an end, finally.
At the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, we sort of imagined how it would come to an end.
Many of us imagined that on the day the announcement is made that it is over, there would be dancing on the streets, parades, and balloons being released into the air. We pictured a scene where we would be removing our face masks at the same time and maybe burn this reminder of the scourge of the virus in public squares.
None of these is happening.
When the announcement by the WHO director-general was made, many residents of Metro Manila and surrounding areas started putting the facemasks on again. Some have started to avoid crowded places and resumed the practice of social distancing. A number of local governments had made the mask mandatory again, making many wonder why the moves seemed contrary to the announcement of the international health body.
Reason: Just before the WHO announcement of the “end” of the “global health emergency,” the positivity rate of Covid-19 infection in the country had risen to 19.3 percent, with experts predicting that it would reach 25 percent within the next few days. The positivity rate is expected to hit its peak this month of May, local health experts said.
“Positivity rate,” it will be recalled, refers to the proportion of people who will test positive for the Covid-19 virus based on the number of those who underwent the antigen or RT-PCR tests.
The 25 percent positivity rate means that for every 100 who will undergo the tests, about 25 of them will turn out to have been infected by the virus. Proof of the dire prognosis was the 1,920 new cases of virus infection logged by the country last Sunday.
Health experts say the number could be higher than what is being reported. It appears there are infected individuals who do not report their situation anymore nor seek treatment since the symptoms of the infection appear to be mild.
It is because of this somber backdrop that the announcement by WHO was received without much fanfare.
In a way, the situation may prove to be a blessing. If we had gone street-dancing and partying after the announcement, we might be seeing an unprecedented surge in new cases. After all, contrary to our hopes, the deadly virus is still here and – according to WHO itself – the virus is here to stay. “What this news means is that it is time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing Covid-19 alongside other infectious diseases,” the WHO director-general said.
“The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about,” he warned.
In the United States, Americans will be awaiting a formal declaration of the end of the pandemic tomorrow, May 11.
The announcement will be made by US President Joe Biden himself. Prior to the anticipated announcement, just like here, the event is unlikely to be met with confetti, balloons, and parades. It appears many Americans believe that “the virus is here to stay.” A number of US opinion writers are also warning that the “end of the emergency” may mean more expensive testing and treatment. Without a declaration of a state of health emergency, there will be no free testing and treatment, they pointed out.
It appears we really cannot drop our guard despite the WHO announcement.
We are glad that our own Department of Health (DOH) had a sober response.
The DOH said the national government, through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will “convene to reassess policies and guidelines affected by the WHO declaration.” “The DOH guarantees the Filipino people that all factors in determining our next action in line with the WHO proclamation will be considered and discussed for the approval of the President,” the DOH said. At the same time, the DOH advised our hospitals to be ready for a possible spike in new Covid-19 cases. This is the stark reality we are facing.
On one hand, the WHO declaration that the global health emergency is over should bring much hope. Our shared efforts and cooperation with strict government measures at the height of the pandemic have paid off.
On the other hand, it will be good for us to heed the counsel of the director-general.
Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that the virus is gone. It is still here, mutating and transforming. We must keep our guards up. *(For feedback, please email it to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)*