By Myris Lee
An infectious diseases expert said there is a possibility for the country to experience a resurgence of COVID-19 infections after the May 2022 elections, similar to the surge happening now abroad.
In the April 1 Laging Handa briefing, Dr. Rontegene Solante mentioned three factors that could lead to another spike in cases such as superspreader events, waning immunity of the population, and the relaxation of restrictions.
“Unang-una diyan ay iyong mga superspreader event. Tapos dagdagan mo pa iyan, iyong waning immunity ng population natin. So puwedeng magkahawaan ulit iyong mga nabakunahan na na hindi pa naka-booster, puwedeng mayroong reinfection,” he said.
“Pangatlo, iyong pagluwag naman ‘no, iyong iba hindi na nagsusuot ng facemask. So ito ay multifactorial na puwedeng tataas ang kaso after election or during the next two to three months,” he said.
Solante, also a member of the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel, stressed the importance of conducting National Vaccination Days to increase protection, noting that the immunity from the primary doses wanes after a few months.
He said the program must be continues as it is a big advantage to reach the population target for COVID-19 vaccination
“Ang advantage kasi ng National Vaccination Days ay iyong accessibility. So maraming lugar na puwede tayong magbakuna compared to without that, kailangan talagang konti na lang iyong lugar na pupuntahan, like in the LGU, there are selected areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, he urged the public to continue following health protocols despite a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, and to remain cautious of the superspreader events during the campaign period, especially in the run-up to the May elections. – ag
