Compassion, not COVID

At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis last March, I found myself being told to quarantine at home and not to go to the studio. The same instructions were given to our executive producer, the guest coordinator and our make-up artists. We found out that one of the persons I interviewed for Agenda had been in a meeting and hearing in Congress where one of the participants tested positive for COVID-19. Because of that, all four of us actually went into quarantine 2 weeks before ECQ was ever declared. Yes, I was a bit anxious, especially since back then, most people who died from COVID-19 were people my age, who had co-morbidities or health issues. Was I upset? No. The guy I interviewed came to the show as a guest who made time for us and graciously shared his knowledge. How was he to know that he had been exposed to someone until he himself was informed by health officials. In the end, he was negative, my team and I were cleared and I eventually had a test that showed I had no anti-bodies and therefore never got infected.

Very recently, some people I know had a similar situation but a different reaction. An extended family of sorts who also hold office together learned that two of their members had recently visited a family member, had dinner and then went back to the office/home of the group. Only then did they learn that they were exposed to a COVID-positive person. In a panic one of them was sent home to quarantine, while the rest isolated themselves. It was, so to speak, a series of unfortunate mistakes. They have yet to be tested this week to determine if there was transmission or not. Sadly a different kind of infection has already taken place – one of anger, fear and judgment on the source of the infection and the hereto yet to be determined suspect cases.

To be honest I was very surprised at the reaction of the people exposed because before all that, they were very close, sacrificial, caring and loving in their relationship with everyone in the group. They were more than “Family” by choice. Short of the power of adoption, this was one tight, loving group. But because of the fear of having been exposed to COVID-19, all the love seemed to have been displaced by resentment and acrimony. Yes, people should be more careful, smarter, considerate, etc. But as Jesus Christ said: “He (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone.” By this I mean for all of us to consider and review our own conduct or behavior under quarantine; whether it’s ECQ, MECQ or GCQ. You don’t have to be COVID-positive or “exposed” to be a sinner against quarantine. If you were to place your actions and activities during the quarantine period next to the rules, how many times did you break the rules; take risks, make up excuses to justify non-essential movement or travel?

How many trips outside of your barangay, city and region did you take that had nothing to do with real work or essential travel? I would dare say that almost everyone has broken the rules, all the way to the President. We all have in a mild form or in the most serious or insensitive manner violated quarantine, some even disregarding it. How many parties or dinners have you been in where you justify it by saying it’s OK because you observed social distancing and people wore masks but committed lapses and put ourselves at risk. Even our consumerism and online shopping and home deliveries were mostly non-essential. If we were to be sticklers for the rules and consequence, how many times did you place a delivery person at risk just to get your fix of tea, fast food and trinkets?

I hope that many people get to read this piece, whether it’s a family now afraid they may have caught COVID, along with members of the military, the police, the LGUs and officials in government who regularly stand on their soap box pontificating about following rules while flaunting their power if not their stupidity. The enemy is COVID-19, not persons, not children, not citizens and especially not loved ones. Yes, COVID-19 is serious and we should be vigilant, but relationships are more valuable. COVID can only infect the body; condemnation and contempt will wound the mind and kill the soul. Let’s all be reminded of what the Bible teaches us: “In your anger do not sin” and “Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.”

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DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recently announced that NCR or Mega Metro Manila will revert to GCQ on Aug. 18 and pointed out that the primary reason why there was a surge in community transmission was due to the leniency or relaxed mode of LGUs in implementing social distancing, wearing of masks and quarantine rules. Having said that, maybe the National Task Force can also study how government activities such as distribution of SAP, regulation of transportation, poor monitoring of offices and work places in the NCR as well as regulation of public markets has become the most suspected source of community transmission of COVID-19. We keep talking about face masks and barrier shields but The Philippine STAR has regularly shown that the absence of social distancing is more likely the cause of community transmission.

All this talk about face masks has given people a false sense of trust and confidence that as long as they wear a mask they are safe and in compliance. No, they are not and the government needs to step up in public information instead of publicity stunts and debates entered into by IATF officials.

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