Data show that the COVID-19 Philippines curve is beginning to flatten as the government-ordered shutdown in Luzon persists, said Friday a health expert.
“We have already begun seeing the flattening. The rate of doubling diminished. Also our number of people [who] survive has far surpassed the number of our patients who died from COVID 19, “Dr. Ted Herbosa, National Task Force Special Advisor Against COVID-19 Philippines.
Herbosa also pointed out that the country was able to bring the reproduction number of the viral disease down from 1.5 to 0.65. The previous rate recorded during the early stages of enhanced community quarantine over the northern Philippines.
This means that the total number of people a person can infect has fallen from more than one to less than one.
Tony Leachon, a physician and supporter of health reform, earlier stressed the value of clinical testing. He noted that the statistics provided by health officials do not reflect the real situation, as only selected individuals are screened for COVID-19 due to restricted test kits.
“Flatten the curve” means the distribution over a long period of time of the number of new cases of coronavirus. As far, the hospitals are condusive. Therefore, patients may have more access to the health system.
To Stop Deaths, There will be More Tests
The country currently has a case fatality rate of 6.6 per cent, marginally above the 6.4 per cent global average, Health Department said Thursday.
But Herbosa said the government has already acknowledged that the “main problem in our current war vs. COVID-19” is lack of research.
There are already 16 laboratories in the Philippines that could conduct tests on coronavirus. The nation is going to buy approximately ₱3.3 billion test kits.