The coronavirus pandemic is NOT over yet. We must always get updated on related news and rulings, local and international, through verifiable sources so we know how to properly deal with it.
As per Worldometers.info as of this writing, 02 August 2020, at 1232H, the following are the figures:
Coronavirus Cases: 18,043,836
Deaths: 689,187
Recovered: 11,341,930
The Philippines with 109,702,792 population, is the 25th in the ranking of highest number of cases. There are 103,185 cases, with 5,032 new cases and 2,059 deaths. Total recovered cases figure is 65,557.
This is very alarming and scary because it has claimed many healthcare practitioners' lives. They must be treated with high respect, like heroes, as they risk their own lives to protect others'. From the bottom of my heart, I salute and thank them all.
As I look at the figures of related cases in one of cities in our place which has been put in total lockdown, I noticed that many cases were due to exposure or getting close to a person afflicted with COVID-19. The more I honor our medical practitioners. Imagine how many times they are exposed or get close to many patients suffering from different kinds of diseases, including this monstrous COVID-19? No right vaccine is in the market yet, so except for the regular flu shots and personal protective gear, if there are right supply, they are not that 100% protected.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the healthcare workers are highly appreciated and honored. See the following related online articles:
Mohamed bin Zayed praises UAE healthcare workers as a source of honorable pride
UAE healthcare workers honoured on International Nursing Day
UAE honours Covid-19 front-line workers with commemorative stamp
UAE Aerobatics Team Paint The Skies To Honour Health Care Workers
UAE air force team to honor COVID 19 frontline workers with hospital flypasts
Church Honors Frontline Healthcare Workers in The UAE
I am saddened by what I read about our leading senator's comments on Filipino health workers. According to CNN Philippines, "Senator Cynthia Villar has once again earned the ire of netizens over another 'insensitive' and 'out-of-touch' remark against a particular sector amid the coronavirus pandemic." (Read more here.)
Words can make or break you. The world feels broken with the pandemic. Everyone of us feels broken inside. Any single word that can make us whole again will be a life saver and a game changer.
The health workers in all parts of the world must be heard and must be given time to recharge their energies, and praises for their sacrifices.
In the UAE, we are still celebrating Eid Al Adha, which "honors the willingness of Ibrahim/Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God's command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead."
The sacrifices of the medical frontliners must not be ignored. They must be honored. Their voices must be heard, not just for themselves, but for their families, communities, countries, and yes, humanity, of which we are all a part.
We are living in the Digital Age. Everything can be done online, so why not crowdsource what's on their minds, to gather first-hand ideas, to help solve a pressing health issue? The healthcare system is one of the most important pillars of the society.
So we know we must always wear face masks, do social distancing, wash our hands regularly, use hand sanitizer, clean our residential and business premises, disinfect our things, etc. There are quarantine rulings.
Why many people still do not do what must be done? These must be addressed to come up with new relevant policies.
One reason that I see is their need to go out to earn money to survive. They say, "We will not die of COVID-19; we will die of hunger." The government extends financial assistance, but if many businesses will close and many people will be jobless, where will it get sufficient funds to provide for all?
What are the options/solutions? Teach them work-from-home life skills. Utilize idle spaces to plant vegetables and trees. Allow barter system when money is hard to find. Strengthen e-commerce and logistics systems. Allow people to have access to financial/banking system with very minimum deposit and no maintaining balance. Mentor people about digital/online jobs and digital currency so they can do business anywhere, everywhere. If health is wealth, and wealth is health, they need the resources to live a healthy life -- no mental stress to think about how to pay their bills, etc.
There are many medical-related courses graduates whose jobs are not matched to their educational background, either by choice or by chance, or not employed at all. The government should invite them to join the medical workforce. If under board, support their review until they pass the board examinations and train them well.
Politicking is a bottleneck to achieve something great. There is always self-interest to win in the next elections or protect co-party members. This pandemic knows no political party. I think that the distribution of vaccines -- if and when after massive human trials they are approved by the government approving body to be out in the market -- and relief items must be done by the Philippine National Red Cross, hand in hand with the right government bodies and private organizations.
The government may also consider providing an easy-to-access health card, say, term with one-year validity (perhaps something like a prepaid card that can be purchased over the counter or via vending machines).
It is NOT over yet. I hope that self rapid test kits will be affordable so anyone can do it at home, to do appropriate measures to slow the speed of transmission expansion, and reduce mortality. As we know, there are those who already have it, but show no symptom (asymptomatic).
Above all, we must develop a culture of concern and compassion for others. We must passionately make others, particularly our health workers, patients and their families, feel that their lives matter to us -- no discrimination, no negative treatment.
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Image credits: Pixabay / Geralt
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