Do not let your guard down

It seems ironic we have spikes in the number of cases of COVID-19 just when the much-awaited vaccines from China and COVAX have arrived and initiated the vaccination program of the government. It has to be pointed out that frontliners and government officials are to be the first to receive the jabs. The government has made good use of press releases and photo-ops of hospital bigwigs and high-ranking government officials, except the president, receiving the Sinovac vaccine to shore up vaccine trust.

It seems to be working. Many doctors have opted to receive the Sinovac vaccine stating it is much better than nothing, referring to the published low efficacy rate of the said vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine fares better at around 70% efficacy but reports of it being ineffective against the South African strain have caused some to worry.

For two straight days, the country tallied more than 3,000 cases, the highest so far since strict quarantine measures were eased last June. The country's ranking in the world tally of COVID-19 has gone back up to the 30th position from the 31st in a matter of days. OCTA has sounded the alarm with regards to the possibility of a surge in the number of cases as people lower their guard by not following the minimum health protocols such as face masks and physical distancing.

A hospital executive of St. Luke’s Medical Center has reported a doubling of the number of COVID-19 cases admitted in the last few days. Let's say those admitted at St. Luke’s, one of the premier hospitals in the country, are those who can afford it would indicate complacency among the upper class. Perhaps they have started going out more often or even going on out-of-town trips as travel restrictions have also eased. Even the arrival of the vaccines might have triggered complacency as they expect to be vaccinated soon. There is still no definite timeline as to when any vaccine becomes available to the general public.

While we are grateful vaccines have started to trickle in, everyone needs to realize it is not yet available to the public. Until all willing medical frontliners and government officials receive the vaccine, a public rollout is still in question as well as herd immunity. COVID-9 is still with us. What is worrisome are the variants that now exist, indicating just how fast this virus can mutate, much faster than a vaccine can be produced or even administered. The fight is far from over. We cannot let our guard down just yet.