EDITORIAL - The threat is still there

As far as the World Health Organization is concerned, COVID-19 is no longer a world health emergency.

 “For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend... This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying in a CNN news report.

While it has ceased to be a threat worldwide, it is still quite the concern in some countries, including the Philippines.

“There’s still a public health threat out there, and we all see that every day in terms of the evolution of this virus, in terms of its global presence, its continued evolution and continued vulnerabilities in our communities, both societal vulnerabilities, age vulnerabilities, protection vulnerabilities, and many other things,” WHO Health Emergencies Program executive director Dr. Mike Ryan said in the same report.

In short, the threat is still there. In fact, the OCTA Research group said the positivity rate in Metro Manila could reach up to 25%.

It is indeed tempting to act the way we did before the pandemic. No doubt wearing that facemask is even more stifling when you consider how hot it has become and will continue to be, more so with El Niño predicted this year. However, we should still use face masks.

No doubt being outside or going to any establishment with air-conditioning is better than being cooped up and stewing in the heat of our homes. However we should still avoid crowds.

No doubt a slight cough, a mild cold, or sore eyes --the latest symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection-- is easy to dismiss and hide from family members or officemates. However, we should isolate quickly whenever we feel something isn’t quite right.

We should still act like we are under threat.

Again, it will not take much for everything to go downhill once more. And while we may know what to expect if and when that happens, we may not be prepared for it where our money is concerned.