Following the pronouncement of a World Health Organization (WHO) official that the novel coronavirus which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID 19 could become endemic like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Senator Dick Gordon again raised the need for testing.
Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said that until a vaccine becomes available, unmasking the virus thru testing will help control, if not prevent, the further spread of the disease, which could be fatal to people who are immune-compromised or have underlying health conditions, among other aggravating factors.
“This virus may never go away.”
“As the WHO official said, this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away, so we have to have very significant control of the virus,” the veteran legislator said.
“Kaya kailangan na we unmask the virus so that we can isolate and conduct contact-tracing to be able to control its spread,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
When the pandemic first hit the country, the PRC head already stressed the importance of exposing the unseen enemy.
To achieve this, the PRC opened two testing centers that are both equipped with polymerase chain reaction machines that can run up to a total of 8,000 tests a day. The PRC’s testing capacity would expand to 20,000, with the opening of another testing center in Port Area, Manila and four others in Subic, Clark, Batangas and Los Baños soon.
The facilities are now picking-up speed as more samples are brought in.
“Our aim is to ensure victory over the virus.”
“Kung maraming magpapa-test, mahihiwalay ‘yung mga positive at malalagay sila sa mga ospital o sa mga quarantine centers. Makakapagsagawa din tayo ng contact tracing para mapigilan ang lalong pagkalat ng sakit na ito. Our aim is to ensure victory over the virus,” the senator stressed.