DOH asks public to avoid Christmas caroling
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health advised the public Monday to avoid doing caroling during the holiday season as singing out loud can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The government’s inter-agency task force has yet to tackle the proposal to ban the traditional street caroling to curb the spread of COVID-19 but assured it would be discussed in future meetings.
While the government is yet to decide whether to prohibit or allow Christmas caroling, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is a study that suggests that loud singing could increase the spread of COVID-19.
“A study was released over this past week stating that singing loudly is the topmost activity that can yield more virus,” Vergeire said in Filipino in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo.
“That being said, wag na muna sana ang ganitong (let’s avoid this kind of activity) so we can prevent further increasing the transmission of infection,” she added.
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden found that singing, especially loud and consonant-rich singing, spreads a lot of aerosol particles and droplets into the surrounding air.
The researchers said that singing can be done with social distancing, good hygiene and ventilation and face mask wearing to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
Last week, the DOH released guidelines on holiday celebrations, which encouraged limited and shortened face-to-face activities. The department, meanwhile, discouraged traveling to areas with higher quarantine classifications and buffet-style food service during gatherings.
The country has so far reported 396,395 COVID-19 infections. Of the figure, 7,539 have died, while 361,638 have recovered. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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