A Step Closer towards Freedom: The world is slowly healing
When was the last time we had a normal life? Thinking about what happened back then, I remember that it has been over two years since all of this started. Back then, the busy streets were always filled with dozens or hundreds of cars and people. Students would also dash out of their classrooms after an exhausting day filled with activities. And malls would always be filled up with thousands of people because of the sales. Alas, things will only remain nostalgic as we face the current pandemic.
The first case of Covid-19 was around December 2019. Ever since then, cases spread all around the world causing this whole pandemic that isolates us from one another. The first ever Covid-19 case in the Philippines was on January 22,2020. The virus had spread around the country as it pleased ever since then. It was around the second week of March 2020 where the Philippines launched its first lockdown. It was during that week where classes were suspended due to the virus. Around that time, students were happy about how they finally got a break; but little did they knew that the break would last for more than a week, specifically speaking, for years.
As the virus spreads around our country, cases in separate regions have been immensely increasing. Among those regions in the Philippines is Caraga or region thirteen (XIII). The Caraga region is known for its tremendous amount of beaches as it is close to the Pacific Ocean. As of now, tourists’ spots are still open here in Caraga which makes it feels like the pandemic does not exist. Despite having strict protocols and guidelines, the openings of these tourists’ spots seem to be one of the main causes why cases are rapidly increasing.
Fighting our way back: Protocols and guidelines counters Covid-19 cases
During November 11, 2021, a report by the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development — Caraga showed 48,502 cumulative cases in the Caraga region. During that day, thirty-two new Covid-19 cases were confirmed. The amount of people stuck in isolation also reached 559, with recoveries reaching 46,127 people and a death toll of 1,816.
With the current number of cases, we are still quite far from achieving the old freedom we once had. Nevertheless, it does not mean that we have not made progress. Throughout these two years, most cases in the Caraga region have recovered. Not only that, but the amount of cases in Caraga is quite less than expected.
In order to have protection against the virus, we have protocols and guidelines that we need to follow. These guidelines and protocols are things such as face masks and face shields. Face shields prevent vital particles from reaching the wearer. They also help in protecting us from inhalation of aerosol droplets that may carry virus. On the other hand, a face mask helps us in reducing spread of respiratory diseases. However, these things alone cannot guarantee our security amidst the spread of the virus; which are exactly why vaccines exist.
Ensuring the well-being of individuals: Vaccines and amounts of individuals vaccinated
Covid-19 vaccines are meant to protect people from the virus. In other words, it is like a weapon that we use in this war against the Covid-19 virus. There are a lot of vaccines around the world. Although you might find yourself scared that you might get the virus despite getting vaccinated, it is a huge steppingstone to go out and get vaccinated because it helps prevent the spread of the virus. In simple terms, getting vaccinated is another steppingstone on the road of freedom.
On the 30th day of September 2021, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) had approved the commencement of vaccination for people aged 12–17. The targeted amount of individuals aged 12–17 for vaccination is 12,722,070 individuals. Here in Caraga, the targeted population aged 12–17 is 338,030. This was what Dr. Gerna M. Manatad, a regional Epidemiologist of DOH-CHD Caraga , showed during her program about DOH’s Covid-19 vaccination program.
The vaccination among 12–17-year-olds have caused the amount of vaccinated people in Caraga to rapidly increase. As of the 11th day of November 2021, 48, 504 people have vaccinated during that time of period, making the total amount of vaccinated people reach 639,549. This is based off the reports received by the DOH-RESU.
We encounter a lot of changes in our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic itself has left a huge change not only to ourselves, but to the world itself. In order to grasp our old freedom, we must do everything that we can to retrieve the old normal.
For example, frontliners such as nurses and doctors are putting their lives at a risk as they try to cure all of the patients in hospitals including those infected with Covid-19. The least thing we can do to help these frontliners is to take the vaccines and follow protocols and guidelines. With this, we are already a step closer towards freedom. The world is slowly healing because of our actions and contributions. You, should do something to help the world as well.
