Doctors weigh in on the easing of COVID-19 quarantine protocols

Doctors on Saturday weighed in on whether the country should now ease health protocols and measures, six months after the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV on Saturday, Dr. Benigno Agbayani Jr. of the Concerned Doctors and Citizens Philippines (CDC-PH) said their group believed that it was appropriate to ease quarantine protocols.

"Ang point namin is, kailangan ba talaga isang buong siyudad, and how much this quarantine o 'yung lockdown really affected the COVID virus, 'yung pagdami niya, o 'yung effect sa atin? How much is the science showing that it is really effective?" explained Agbayani.

The CDC-PH and the UP-OCTA research team had a "fundamental disagreement" on the lockdowns, as the later was convinced that the lockdowns had led to the improved COVID-19 numbers.

However, Agbayani cited findings that it was not the lockdowns that controlled the cases, but that COVID-19 was a "seasonal" kind of virus.

"Tataas talaga siya dahil depende sa panahon, depende sa population. So medyo doon nagkakaiba. Depende sa population, depende sa ating immune system. So we have to decide. Is this a seasonal kind of flu? Or is this a pandemic?" Agbayani said.

He claimed further that there was mounting global evidence that COVID-19 was a seasonal kind of virus and that such viruses should not be treated by "quarantining the healthy" but rather by protecting the vulnerable.

"Lockdown is not a simple solution. It's actually a very costly solution," Agbayani argued.

Implemented continuously, improved

In a separate Dobol B sa News TV interview, Maricar Limpin, Vice President of the Philippine College of Physicians, said that the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) should be maintained in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Limpin said easing the community quarantine would imply that the contact tracing efforts of the government was sufficient and effective.

Rather, current quarantine protocols should be implemented continuously and improved.

"Para sa ganoon ay mas ma-control natin talaga nang mas maganda itong pandemya na ito," she said.

Limpin said a one hospital command center and one-referral method should also be carried out as medical frontliners faced the challenge of referring COVID-19 patients to other hospitals when they could no longer accommodate them.

"Right now if we try to loosen up tapos hindi pa naman in place talaga lahat ng kailangan nating gawin, then dito tayo matatalo," she said.

Furthermore, Limpin was convinced that the reimposition of a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas last August provided medical workers a respite from the rising number of COVID-19 cases. — DVM, GMA News