DOH: No such thing as 'immunity of the poor' against COVID-19

There is no evidence supporting the claim that the poor have developed some kind of resilience or immunity against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

"Wala pong ebidensiya na mayroong magiging immunity ang specific sectors of society," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual conference.

"Kaya wala tayong dapat iniiisip na mayroong immunity dito. Wala pong sini-sino ang virus, kahit sino puwedeng magkaroon," she added.

She pointed out that the World Health Organization already said there can be no "immunity passports" as much is yet to be known about the novel coronavirus.

"Even those who has had the virus already, nag-positive na, hindi pa rin daw sigurado kung pwede silang magkaroon o hindi," Vergeire said.

On Wednesday, Presidential adviser on entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, citing priests and bishops, said the incidence of COVID-19 in poor communities was minimal and that this sector is "resilient" to the virus.

"When we talked to the proponents of Caritas project, which involved about 30 business organizations, the same thing was relayed to them that many of the poor are somehow resilient to the virus," Concepcion said.

"Maybe because they are so used to so much exposure that they have a better immunity than us who are sheltered in well-protected environment," he added.

Concepcion also said the work on road networks should continue amid COVID-19 because the workers are "under the sun."

Vergeire explained that during the onset of the outbreak, it is the middle and the upper class who had been initially affected but that doesn't mean the poor are safe.

"Kasi sila po 'yung mga nagta-travel, sila po 'yung may pera to travel abroad, to travel elsewhere in the Philippines. Also sila po 'yung mga nag-aattend ng mga convention, mga conferences, sila rin yung madalas na magkakasama sa mga meeting," she said.

"Kaya hindi natin nakikita sa ating mga lower income class pero hindi natin pwedeng sabihin at hindi tayo dapat makampante na hindi ito nangyayari sa ating mga lower income class," she added.

Vergeire also reiterated that there is no evidence that the weather affects the transmission of the virus.

"Whether mainit o malamig nandiyan pa rin yung virus ‘pag tiningnan natin ang experiences across the globe. So, it should not be a basis for the business sector na kasi exposed sa sun, kaya pwede nang magtrabaho," she said.

"Kailangan pa natin ng masusing pag-aaral batay diyan para naman safe tayo kung sasabihin natin na pwede na nating pabalikin 'yung mga workers who are exposed to the sun," she added.

As of April 29, the Philippines recorded a total of 8,212 cases of COVID-19, with 558 deaths and 1,023 recoveries.—AOL, GMA News