Senior citizens urged to take precautions vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — With the detection of new COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, senior citizens and the immunocompromised are advised to continue wearing face masks and get vaccinated.

There is no reason to panic despite the entry of new variants as they have been classified as low public health risk by the World Health Organization, infectious disease specialist Rontgene Solante said in a radio interview yesterday.

“The vulnerable population, or those aged 60 and above, those with comorbidities, immunocompromised and children must take precaution,” he said.

Filipinos inoculated with bivalent vaccines have better protection against severe symptoms, he added.

Hospitalization rate remains low, he noted.

The new COVID “FLiRT” variants, or KP.2 and KP.3, are low public health risk and less likely to cause severe infection, Solante said.

The public should not be complacent as COVID continues to mutate, he maintained.

Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian reiterated calls for the creation of a Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

The CDC would implement disease surveillance and field epidemiology activities and coordinate with the Bureau of Quarantine.

The center would also have regional counterparts and provinces, cities and municipalities would be mandated to adopt and localize standards and guidelines developed by the CDC.

Gatchalian is co-author of Senate Bill 1869 or the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control Act. – Cecille Suerte Felipe