Virus scare
With the confirmation of first case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the Philippines, everyone just went into shock and panic. All pharmacies suddenly had no surgical or all other types of masks. Vitamins that weren't noticed on the racks were ransacked as if there’s no tomorrow. Rubbing alcohol also. It’s like all the Filipinos are taking the virus very seriously, like in a span of hours anyone could die.
While that allegation may be true, and it’s better to be safe than sorry, we must also keep in mind the truth. The Department of Health already issued a statement that only those with persisting respiratory illnesses should wear masks. That said, there’s no need to panic buy. Also, we aren’t sure how the virus was spread to others by the 38-year-old woman who visited Cebu and Dumaguete, but if we boost our immune system then we are safe from this virus.
We could have prevented this a long time ago had we not waited for everything to blow up. If the government was quick enough to be alert when the outbreak started in Wuhan, then we could have prevented entry of our Chinese friends temporarily. A temporary ban to make sure we’re all safe. But no, our authorities allowed entry. They never kept in mind that carriers of the virus could be asymptomatic, or exhibiting no symptoms at all --which I think is scarier. We could have been spared from all this had we been decisive enough to protect public health. Instead, we were sideswiped by the many contributing factors.
As of this writing, there is no concrete plan yet how the government plans to contain the spread of the virus. Sure, the 38-year-old woman confirmed of having the virus is in quarantine, but we don’t know about those she had contact with. It may be a long shot, but as the old saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry. We all we want to be safe and the goal today is to have no casualties because of this virus.
It’s so hard to blame anyone for what has transpired. So to move onward from here is also very hard. Again, it’s better to temporarily ban all trips from China via air or sea just to be sure. It’s just temporary, so there’s nothing to worry about. Our borders should be secured, just like what other countries did. We can't risk millions of pesos over millions of dead bodies because we are too centered on the economic impact. We can live on our own and sustain our own country. This is what sets us apart.
While fear may be lurking behind you, let’s not forget to also put our faith in God, the ultimate bringer of life, and the one who can also stop this menace. He could bestow a human being with great wisdom to find a cure for the virus. He holds the ball to our future.
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