Quarantine acronyms

Two weeks after the interagency task force for the management of emerging disease recommended to have Cebu City and Mandaue City remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine, another level of classification was released. Cebu City will be Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, while Mandaue city will revert to General Community Quarantine. The same old community quarantine but the acronyms differ. Along with each acronym is the corresponding guidelines that will dictate how their next two weeks will turn out. Therefore, it means there won’t be the freedom that we used to have before COVID-19.

But I don't think we need another acronym, we need concrete solutions to address this pandemic. I think mass testing is one but it seems very impractical to do so. The issue of the rapid test kits have been going in since these rolled out. There are a lot of questions hounding the kits most especially about its detection of the virus. The Department of Health already said that it cannot detect the virus, but only detect its antibodies. Doesn't it present a new kind of data when there are a lot who tested positive for the virus than those who tested negative? The way I see it, community transmission has already been present and is already a given, plus there is a number of people already immune to the disease. But these are all just thoughts on top of my head and the more I think, the more the government doesn’t present us with ways to put a stop to this, aside from community quarantine.

They are throwing us back with the three Ts --test, trace, and treat. But how do we specifically treat those who are asymptomatic and don’t feel anything at all? It has been a long journey trying to uncover the many mysteries of this disease. I’m as tired as everyone else because my life hasn't been the same. Virtual meetings and talks with my friends don’t replace the joy I feel when I see them face-to-face. It’s a totally different picture, a different story.

What makes an acronym so appealing? It gives us all a difference if you are in a low-risk or high-risk area for the disease. I think it creates more confusion and anxiety to the residents who are also eager to give life to the economy. I think it’s better if we approach this with steps that are viable than losing more than we can give. One of my friends said that they lost all their savings not because they spent it on what they wanted to buy, but because of the community quarantine.

I continue to pray that we find the answer to this virus and one day we can go back to the way life used to be. I miss seeing others, hugging, and just socializing without a mask on.