User:Rubymhel Lopez/sandbox

UNWANTED VISITOR

In December 2019, the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province became the center of a pneumonia outbreak of unknown cause with global implications. In early January 2020, Chinese scientists isolated a novel coronavirus (CoV) from the patient groups in Wuhan. The outbreak is believed to have started at a local seafood/wild animal market.

Last January 30, the first case was confirmed in the Philippines. She was a 38-year old Chinese woman who was confined in San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. As of this writing, there have been 396 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines with 33 deaths and 18 recoveries. (Facts were from www.covid19.gov.ph)

We know what kind of villain we have in this battle, but we still have no concrete plans on how we are going to win this over.

The Philippine National Government has issued an executive order putting the whole country in an enhanced community quarantine. This means that no person shall go outside their house premise. This was initially planned in order to avoid the local transmission of the virus. The order also covered travel ban, school and other agency closure thus work from home was suggested.

With this immediate lockdown, many people have panicked. There were some who hoards basic necessities such as alcohol, tissue paper, canned goods, rice, bottled waters and others. There were also who did price hike to basic commodities such as sugar, fish and meat, vegetable and fruits. Pity those people who in this times think only of themselves.

This is a serious matter that needs immediate response. Let us help our front liners- the doctors, nurses, medical technologist, janitors, reporters, policemen, barangay tanods, and barangay and LGU officials in the best way that we can. Let us not spread this virus, let us stay at home.