Battling Covid-19 entails sacrifices, discipline: DOH

HEALTH TRENDS
Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – Sustain your sacrifices and you will reap the benefits that will keep you and your family members safe from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
    Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) thus urged residents, reminding them to stay at home, wear masks, and avoid gatherings unless absolutely necessary.
    Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, assistant regional director of DOH-CAR, said in an interview on Thursday sacrifices will not come to naught.
    “We know everyone is suffering from quarantine fatigue with over a year of being locked in our homes and wearing our masks, but let us not get tired. Let us pursue what we have done especially with the Covid pandemic still here,” she said.
    Pangilinan said that when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world, it reminded people of the basic things that were taught in their childhood.
    “Among the Covid-19 learning and insights is the need to go back to the basics of the importance of discipline and values of obedience. Cleanliness is next to godliness and nurturing the environment were all inculcated by parents and teachers in the young,” she said.
    Frequent washing of hands, observance of coughing and sneezing etiquette, social distancing, disinfection of work places as well as honesty is the best policy are all basic lessons we grew up with, Pangilinan added.
    “Kung mag-health declaration ka, sabihin mong yes kung talagang yes. Huwag mag-sinungaling (In filling out a health declaration, say yes if it is indeed a yes. Do not lie),” she said.
    She also said that obedience to health and local government authorities by following first before complaining is a way of life of children.
    In another interview, Dr. Leamor Fangonilo, public health expert of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, said battling the pandemic is an individual responsibility which everyone must participate in.
    “We have a lot of things that we have learned from this pandemic. Our authorities are constantly reminding us, providing the facilities on how to fight the pandemic but it is always the community that matters,” she said.
    Pandemics come and go and the lessons of the current situation will again be useful in the future when another health crisis emerges. -- PNA