Truth behind the statistical figures

When faced with an issue, we consider as many aspects as feasible, as well as a variety of solutions and possibilities. And the more perspectives we consider, the more likely we are to arrive at a better answer or result. And sure, having options that are perfectly plausible can make the decision-making process even more difficult, especially when emotions, or a lot of them, are involved.

During a pandemic, the government and some sectors of society rely on research group studies and projections in making decisions, particularly about how to proceed in the coming weeks or months, and what actions and policies and protocols would be best for the people. On top of this, the OCTA research group, an autonomous and interdisciplinary group made up mostly of University of the Philippines professors, scientists, and alumni, is doing its part as a research link of the government. However, the group has already suffered a setback, as certain members of Congress have launched an inquiry into the group's capabilities.

The OCTA group's recommendations have recently been taken into account in the government's public pronouncements to tighten limits in response to an increase in the number of COVID cases.

Let's have a look at some of our neighbors, as the COVID-19 Delta variant is quickly becoming the most dominant strain. The Delta variant, which was initially discovered in India in October 2020, has now spread to over 100 nations as of July 20. The World Health Organization's assessment comes with the caveat that the Delta variant is now spreading faster than all other variants.

The WHO has termed it as the "most transmissible among the variations found thus far." In Asia, a number of nations have witnessed substantially rising cases, even ones that were quite effective in limiting the coronavirus last year.

Malaysia, for example, has suddenly become one of Asia's hotspots, with a record of 17,786 new cases on July 31 and a daily mortality rate of 219 on August 2. Since mid-May, the number of cases in Bangladesh, which shares a lengthy border with India, has increased.

On July 31, Thailand's daily cases and deaths reached an all-time high. Case numbers have been rapidly increasing in Pakistan as the country experiences yet another coronavirus outbreak, fueled in part by the Delta variant. At the end of May, the Delta variant was found in nearly a third of the instances sequenced in the previous two weeks.

Finally, Indonesia has reached a dreadful milestone in the deadliest pandemic wave it has ever experienced; 100,000 verified COVID-19 deaths. As the Delta variant wreaks havoc across the country, there are concerns that the true figure could be much higher.

Back to the significance of scientific figures, there is a need to interpret them into something that regular people can understand and relate to. Figures should not be used as a source of fear, but rather as a tool for improved knowledge and calculated action. It's about objectively interpreting these facts and relaying it to the appropriate agencies for better decision making.

Scientific statistics convey truth. Rather than sowing dread, unraveling truths means liberating us from ignorance and apathy.