COVID-19 Crisis: Information and Status on this alarming

pandemic
By: Tanya Gargalicano

Date: March 25, 2020

People lived their lives thinking that this virus would not be able to penetrate on a global
scale and cause a worldwide panic. In almost an instant, these people were proven
wrong.
The COVID-19 or most commonly known as the Coronavirus disease, is an infectious
disease characterized by respiratory illness with symptoms such as dry cough, fever, and in
some cases, difficulty in breathing. This emerged from the Hubei province in China on
December 2019 where a number of people were reported to have severe pneumonia brought by
unknown causes later identified to be a virus. This virus belongs to the same family that causes
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
According to the World Health Organization, the Philippines has 636 confirmed cases for
the COVID-19 as of March 25, 2020. With a total of 38 deaths and 26 recoveries, it has
increased nationwide panic that urged the citizens to take precautionary measures to safeguard
their lives as well as those of the people around them.
“It is unavoidable that the novel coronavirus epidemic will have a considerable impact on
the economy and society” – President Xi Jinping of China in February 23,2020.
This outbreak has firstly disrupted the Chinese economy but has affected other countries
as well as it began to spread in Asia, Europe, North and South America, and other continents. In
a strongly connected and integrated world, the impacts of this disease reach far more than just
mortality. It would also affect society itself.
This disruption has affected the operations of other global businesses given that China
has become the central manufacturing hub. Other than this, big shifts in the stock market with a
decrease of about 35%, a decrease in the value of gold, and oil, and a drop in tourism as travel
restrictions are implemented are also happening.
With the effects reaching up to a global scale that could not be easily managed, a
personal act of prevention by a person would decrease the spread of this virus. The evolution of
the disease itself is highly uncertain, making it difficult for policymakers to formulate an
appropriate “cure” or “vaccine” to cease its impact. However, its prevention can easily be done
by the people to protect themselves as well as the people around them.
Restrictions were learned to decrease the number of new cases only by 3% in similar
cases like the influenza. And although this has been carried out by the country through imposing
home quarantine at a certain degree and travel bans, it is not enough to prevent this global
pandemic at a significant level. Instead, proper hygiene and a decreased contact to possible
affected areas could lessen the spread of the virus more than this restriction. During the initial
period of identifying the aspects of the disease, it was found that respiratory virus infections
were reduced by 46% through hand hygiene, 77%through masks or respirators, and 32% to
33% through gowns and gloves.
 Moreover, hospitals rely on signs alone to determine if visitors require isolation in private
rooms. The masks used by health-care workers are also inadequate in preventing the
transmission of the virus through fomites or everyday objects and eye, mouth, and nose contact.
But with proper screening of the visitors with any respiratory issues, restricting health-care
workers with any respiratory tract symptoms, proper hygiene, and other increased precautionary
measures, hospitals will surely be able to attend to the needs not only of the Coronavirus
patients but of other patients as well.
If a person is experiencing the symptoms of this respiratory disease, it is important to go
to the hospital and see a professional to be able to reduce the transmission of the virus if it is
indeed present. Furthermore, it would also allow healthcare professionals to know more about
the virus and its implications given that some provinces in the Philippines are not yet properly
exposed to these patients.
“The most effective way to prevent infections and save lives, is breaking the chains of
transmission. And to do that, you must test and isolate”, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, at Monday’s COVID-19 press briefing, held at the UN health agency’s
headquarters in Geneva
The testing for this COVID-19 is slowly being carried out by different nations to
safeguard the health of their citizens. But insufficient funds as well as political disagreements
delay this action. The World Health Organization is currently in the works to provide the needed
testing kits to different countries with the help of the United Nations.
In this time of unrest, it is important to look into our own personal health as well as our
family’s. Stress management is important to ensure that the mental and physical health of the
person is well. Know the symptoms of stress to know when to alleviate it and keep a healthy
lifestyle. Limiting one’s exposure to the negative news presented everywhere and knowing the
difference between factual and fictitious news would lessen the stress of a person and the
spread of fake news. Through these, a healthy and positive mindset is developed through this
time of uncertainty.
It is still uncertain as to when this virus would cease to exist. Everyday, lives are taken
and the number of cases increase. This will surely affect how we see the world and the people.
But we must stay strong and hope for a better tomorrow. In times like this, just how much can
we truly adapt to the changing world.

Sources:
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2762808/incubation-period-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-
from-publicly-reported?searchresult=1
https://www.inquirer.net/novel-coronavirus-update
The Global Macroeconomic Impacts of COVID-19: Seven Scenarios by Warwick McKibbin and
Roshen Fernando, 2 March 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51706225
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2762507/managing-emerging-infectious-diseases-should-travel-
fifth-vital-sign?searchresult=1
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2763036/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-protecting-
hospitals-from-invisible?searchresult=1
Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks – SAMHSA
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059552