What to do about Delta?

We’ve all spent the past couple of weeks figuring out how to adjust our lives once again during another ECQ and a deadlier virus strain that has taken over in the country. With Delta on our shores, and in many places around the world, the virus cases have spiked and the downward trend we had hoped would last was turned upside down once again.

It just goes to show that while we may be tiring of the pandemic, the virus is not. If anything, it went the opposite way and got stronger. This isn’t some insidious plan, but more the natural course of all viruses that mutate and change – especially in large unvaccinated populations. Strains tend to get deadlier as they progress and that is what we are all seeing with the Delta variant.

So once again, back indoors we went. Activities such as dining in and personal care were suspended as the government tried to figure out how to face this rising new challenge that saw hospitals and healthcare workers overwhelmed anew.

ECQ was implemented, but it doesn’t seem to have made as big an impact as they would have wanted. Honestly, I believe that is because this ECQ isn’t like the others. People really can’t afford to hunker down and put their lives on hold anymore. People need to work or go out and find work. Ayuda has stopped, and if people don’t work, they don’t eat. Filipinos, during this lockdown more than ever, couldn’t afford to do nothing.

So now, we are slowly transitioning into MECQ, but with the same stringent guidelines. Perhaps because the government can no longer be pressured to provide the support required under an enhanced lockdown. In the end, it does come down to costs. After all, mobility reports have shown that the ECQ is not getting the same type of mobility restriction they had hoped for because people did need to go out to find work or they would starve.

So, instead of forcing another ECQ which costs billions of pesos, the government has decided to downgrade the quarantine, but keep the various strict measures in effect. At the end of the day, it seems as if the solution was not helping and the payoff was not worth it. Hopefully, even with the downgrade in quarantine though, people remain vigilant and practice all the necessary safety protocols. No one wins if we get complacent again.

And while we have seen major spikes and rises in cases with over 17,000 in just one day, the cases in the city finally seem to be reaching a plateau. There are still many to be sure, but perhaps the effect of the lockdown and increased vaccination drive is finally showing some results too. As we all know, any intervention needs at least two to three weeks to show any type of impact, so perhaps we’ll start seeing more in the days ahead.

But that’s just NCR at this point. The news coming in from the provinces seems just as bad, as cases are rising there as well and vaccination drives aren’t going fast enough. The healthcare systems outside of Metro Manila are smaller and they are already overwhelmed. Delta is making things extremely challenging, and with the quick transmissibility and more deadly effects of this strain, the outlook is quite terrifying.

At this point, everyone is asking what can we possibly do now? The answer, while tiresome, remains the same. Vaccination is the only way forward and to give the vaccines time to get to as many people as possible, we have to keep practicing safety protocols, socially distancing, and making sure we stay at home as much as possible and only do the essential.

While it’s discouraging, to say the least, we have to remember that all pandemics end. It may take some time, but we won’t be here forever. For now, if we want things to improve, we need to do our part. We’ve already seen what happens when we get complacent too early. We end up right back where we started – or worse. We have to do our part – get vaccinated, encourage others to do the same, and be responsible for our own safety.

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We all watched our Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao go 12 rounds with Yordenis Ugas last Sunday in Las Vegas, and while we wanted to see him emerge the victor once again, it just wasn’t meant to be. While he did admirably and should be proud, Manny was just outboxed by a larger and younger fighter that night who got the right hits in and the judges scored it unanimously in favor of the Cuban pug.

But quite frankly, Pacquiao still has a lot to be proud of. As an athlete in his 40s and a boxer at that, it’s very difficult to retain the bounce and stamina of youth. While his talent is still undeniable, he is fighting a much tougher opponent – time. No one can stay young forever and with age comes muscle tightness, some loss of endurance, and other issues that Pacquiao admittedly faced last Sunday.

So what does this mean for our nation’s champion? He still has so much to be proud about, and the loss notwithstanding, he cemented his boxing legend status long ago. But he does still have a lot on his mind moving forward. Is it time to hang it up in the ring? That’s a question he is going to have to answer with this team and while it’s one that no athlete ever wants to face, eventually it’s inevitable.

As for life outside the ring – that’s currently tumultuous for the boxer/politician as well. They brought it up in the post-fight interview when they asked if he plans to run for president. He avoided the question well enough and said he would announce his decision in the coming month. But it’s a question that everyone has been asking recently.

On the heels of a stunning victory in the ring, I think Manny might have been more confident to push through with his plans for seeking the presidential office. But now, in more aspects than one, his future and the way forward remain unclear. Should he try to run? Should he just back the candidate that shares the same ideals as he does? I guess time will tell which way he will go.

At the end of the day, Filipinos can still be proud of what Pacquiao has achieved in the ring. He fought with dignity and grace and remained humble, even in defeat. Something we can all learn from.