Before arrival of new variant, most Pinoys believed worst of pandemic was over — SWS

MANILA, Philippines — A newly-released poll showed that most Filipinos believed that the worst of the pandemic was over around two months before the more infectious coronavirus variant was detected in the country.

Private pollster Social Weather Stations revealed the results of its November 2020 survey which found that 69% of adult Filipinos said “the worst is behind us” with the pandemic, up from 47% in September 2020.

Meanwhile, those who feared that “the worst is yet to come” fell to 31% from 47%.

Optimism that the worst is over with the pandemic rose across all areas and in all education levels. It even rose among people who believed their quality of life would worsen and that the economy would further tank.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults from November 21 to 25, 2020, seven weeks before the Department of Health reported the country’s first case of the more infectious coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom.

Since the detection of the first case, 24 more people have been found to be infected with the new variant called B.1.1.7, with one of the patients, who had comorbidities, dying due to complications from the infection.

While the DOH reported the country’s first B.1.1.7 case on January 13, it admitted that the new variant had been in the country nearly a month before their announcement, as a sample collected on December 10 tested positive for the mutated virus.

Despite the lingering threat of the new variants, the government has relaxed travel restrictions on foreigners and has refused to impose a new travel ban.

The DOH said that apart from the B.1.1.7 variant, no other variant of concern has been detected in the Philippines.

Preliminary estimates find the B.1.1.7 variant between 30% and 70% more contagious than other forms of the virus. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there is “some evidence” that it could be deadlier, but local experts affiliated with the DOH said it is still premature to conclude this.

Experts warned that an increase in the transmission of the new variant will lead to more people getting infected and sick, which can overwhelm the country's health system anew. — Xave Gregorio