Procrastination Kills Opportunity

It has been over a year since the very first suspected case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was investigated within the Philippines last January 22, 2020. It has completely reshaped the way of life of most people in the world due to the fatalities it can cause with such a simple method of transmission—where even an action as simple as coughing or being in contact with someone can contribute to the worsening problems. With such a crucial and concerning the threat to the health of the masses, it is only right for health organizations and private medical companies to get to work on a vaccine as soon as possible. But with a shoddy timetable and the lack of proper preparation for a wide-scale intervention, the scale and damage of the pandemic escalated beyond the initially projected risks.

Although the brunt of the pandemic is slowly being managed and mitigated, it could have been dealt with sooner if the risk was not underestimated and quarantine procedures were not held off until after a few months from the initial suspected case. Once the threat of the coronavirus was fully realized, there was already a noticeable steep upward trend in the number of reported cases. By that time, the government still did not have a travel ban in place that could ensure the safety of Filipinos within the country. In fact, the current President Rodrigo Duterte refused to bar entry of Chinese citizens into the Philippines since it appears as a manifestation of ‘xenophobia’ and not an actual precaution to protect the masses.

Despite the initial lapses of judgment during the onset of the pandemic, it is still commendable that the government was almost immediately able to set up interventions to try and curb the spread of the virus. They set up travel checkpoints where temperatures and overall health quality are monitored before being allowed to travel to another region. Health professionals and other medical personnel were also mandated to be of service as frontliners to our afflicted countrymen. There were also health announcements released that provided a detailed breakdown of the proper practices that the masses should integrate into their daily routine in order to stay healthy.

However, it would be a lie to say that it was a flawless execution. Citizens were being negligent of the extended community quarantine guidelines and continue to populate the areas where they can be in contact with others and sometimes even forget to wear proper protective equipment such as a mask and/or a face shield.

Despite the government’s efforts, the number of cases within the country still continued to climb to the point where the Philippines had one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases. According to the World Health Organization, the Philippines—at the time of writing—had 550,860 confirmed cases with 11,517 deaths. This is a staggering number seeing as China (the country with the first confirmed case) only had 101,561 confirmed cases and 4,838 deaths. To say that the way the current administration has dealt with the situation is unsatisfactory would be an understatement.

There is a silver lining behind all this dreadful news though. Those companies and health organizations that took initiative and immediately got to work on a vaccine to be put under clinical trials and eventually release to the public give hope to those dealing with the affliction and everyone else that’s concerned for their loved ones.

Pfizer Incorporated the most striking example of this sense of initiative and willingness to spring to action. Chief Executive Albert Bourla stated in an interview with Wall Street Journal that the thought process behind pushing for immediate production relied on the fact that he can increase production tenfold with their resources. “Why can’t we make more and why can’t we make it sooner?” he said. This kind of perception is what the Philippine government sorely needed during the onset of the pandemic.

It was even reported that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had every opportunity to submit documents to Pfizer for the delivery of the vaccines for mass vaccination. Senator Panfilo Lacson even mentioned that the Philippines could have secured vaccines as soon as January 2021 if the deal went as planned at the scheduled time.

Assuming that the necessary documents were provided as soon as possible and there wasn’t a rush to bring the nation back into a state of normality, there would not have to be occasional peaks in the number of cases and the issue could have been resolved earlier than the end of 2021. Mass vaccination and developing herd immunity wherein 60% of the population have been immunized against the virus would be so much easier if there is just proper communication between all parties involved. This includes the third-party health companies providing the vaccine, the Philippine government, and even the overall Filipino population.

The government should actively seek to educate the masses that the vaccine does not cause unintended side effects such as pregnancy or a debilitating disease. There should be open and objective communication and not just a spread of misinformation about the vaccine that is left to fester which allows the masses to make their own hasty conclusions.

There should also be wide dissemination of information about the order of priority when the vaccines do come so the public does not pile up complaints and dissent for not having immediate access to the vaccine.

The procedure for enlisting for the national deployment should also be widely spread in order to make sure that those who need it the most have the means to be listed and reviewed properly rather than being left clueless and suffering.

The dates for registration should also be provided even in the most far-flung localities and not just the bustling urban areas. The master list for Priority GROUP A composed of priority health workers and senior citizens was completed until February 15. The priority master list for the rest of GROUP A as well as GROUP B (essential workers) will be completed until March 31.

This entire endeavor to curtail the damages done by the pandemic is entirely possible assuming that every party involved has the initiative to solve the problem and not just sit idly by and wait for someone to get the ball rolling. There must be active communication and intervention from the government and unbiased participation from the Filipino population. Otherwise, there will inevitably be a loop of procrastination and pointing fingers until we find a way to execute the plans to solve the issues exceptionally.