Philippines are struggling for coronavirus and tuberculosis (TB). The condition gets worse after the lockdown in this country. Therefore, Philippines focus on the two cases and its residents.
Take an example, Josefina Marquez, 58, has worked as a laundry assistant in Metro Manila for years. But then, the coronavirus lockdown left her with no income. After the President Rodrigo Duterte lockdown on March 15, the condition gets worse.
This has also jeopardized the lives of four members of her family who have tuberculosis (TB). Now the sole breadwinner faces trouble for her ailing husband and their three children having TB treatment.
“My daughters and husband takes 17 pills a day, but my son take injections and I don’t know where he will go or who will do his injections,” Marquez said.
“Transport has been stopped under the quarantine when I went to collect their drugs on Monday. I had a quarantine pass, but the police at the checkpoint said I needed a letter from the clinic granting me permission to go to the clinic.”
The provincial and local governments have also placed similar partial lockdowns in the remaining areas of the country. It was putting nearly the entire country of more than 104 million citizens under quarantine.
More than 3,700 coronavirus infections and nearly 180 deaths have been reported in the world.
Strain to the Health System
Despite the country’s healthcare facing the added coronavirus strain, the lives of tens of thousands of TB patients are now at risk. Hospitals become no – go areas due to the surge of COVID-19 cases.
According to the 2019 Global Tuberculosis Study of the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 591,000 Filipinos suffered from the disease in 2018. 26,000 deaths, accounting for 6% of the 10 million cases worldwide.
Dr. Alfie Calingacion, who works with patients with tuberculosis on Bohol’s central island told about the coronavirus and TB.
“As health facilities around the country rush to deal with the pandemic, patients with TB face of contracting coronavirus because of their compromised immune systems.”
