This 2022 we are expected to gradually regain our freedom from the current pandemic brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). But the freedom hoped for seems to elude us because of the new wave of the pandemic due to the Omicron variant.
In recent days, a series of cases of Omicron has been recorded worldwide which are said to have started in South Africa on November 24, 2021, and was named by the WHO as “Omicron” after two days.
The president of the French government’s scientific advisory board Jean-Francois Delfraissy said Omicron is spreading faster than any variant which reflects the currently increasing cases worldwide.
As of the time of writing, there are 5,434 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, which brings a total of 2,861,119 cases since the pandemic started. In Puerto Princesa, the Incident Management Team recorded 22 new cases.
Also due to the threat of the Omicron variant in the National Capital Region, the Puerto Princesa local government has implemented a five-to-seven-day mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and APOR inbound travelers to the city.
Meanwhile, the DOH warned of the spread of wrong information related to the Omicron variant. It says infections from Omicron are not different from the usual symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, fever, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, fever, body pain, etc.
According to the DOH, “It is difficult to tell by symptoms alone what cause your infection. So, once you have symptoms, it is best to test to confirm what you have”.
The DOH also reported a 26.5% positivity rate since November 2021, which means that one in four persons tested is positive for COVID-19. Although there is not enough data on the Omicron variant case it is one of the considered reasons for the increase of cases in the country.
Therefore we go back to our heightened, strict and consistent adherence to protocols: wearing of face masks all the time, washing with soap or alcohol, keeping distance from other persons and the like. Plus getting vaccinated or having booster shots.
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