by Cecile Rose Quindara
Baguio City Public Health Service Officer Dr. Donnabel Tubera-Panes held an awareness talk tackling the epidemiology of COVID-19, what actions have been done by the government, situational reports, and preventive measures the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB) should practice, February 17 at the Himnasyo Amianan.
The talk is part of the College of Science Lectures 2020 which discusses current issues that are affecting the environment and people’s lives.
Dr. Panes discusses the preventive measures that the UP Baguio should exercise during her talk at the Himnasyo Amianan, UP Baguio, Feb 17.
Dr. Panes said that the South East Asia, where the Philippines is located, is a hotspot of infectious diseases which means that viruses and other communicable diseases can easily be transferred from one area to another, making the disease epidemic.
In today’s time, people tend to travel a lot, making infectious diseases transmit easily, said Dr. Panes.
She emphasized this with a quote by Paul Russell, a known specialist on malaria and tropical diseases, “Nothing on Earth is more international than disease.”
The speaker provided an epidemiology (distribution and possible control) of the virus and a brief history on how COVID-19 spread from ground zero Wuhan in China.
Dr. Panes then talked about the 4-door policy that the Philippine government created in order to strengthen the surveillance in the country and prevent new cases of the virus.
The discussion also gave a solid figure of the situation of the COVID-2019, also known as SARSCoV2, in the Philippines and in Baguio, and mentioning its implications in the city.
According to the statistics she showed, as of February 16, 2020, the country is still COVID-19 free, meaning there are no new positive cases of the virus aside from the three earlier cases, of which two recovered and one died.
UPB students line up as they register for the talk.
Dr. Panes also mentioned that though Baguio City has zero cases, the local government unit is still doing precautionary measures.
These include creating barangay emergency response teams and coordinating with different government agencies such as the Department of Health, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Interior and Local Government for assistance in any ways needed.
Dr. Panes gave advices to the UPB community about protecting themselves from various diseases especially the COVID-19.
She suggested that schools should implement intensive hygiene care and frequent disinfection.
Dr. Panes suggested that students, faculty and staff should immediately consult a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms of the virus.
Edited by Catherine De Leon
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