Another pandemic soon?

By Leonardo Micua

 

THE foreign press quoting sources from think tanks in the United States warn us of a new virus that may have the potential of developing into another pandemic as lethal as the one that we have today–the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the world is still grappling with the deadly impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and scientists are still scrambling to discover the vaccine that could finally slow down if not completely end it, the world should be wary of possibly a new pandemic that could have another crippling effect on all nations.

Seen by scientists as having traits similar to the 2019 swine flu and the 1918 Spanish flu that emerged right after World War I, the new virus that was first found on pigs in China, could put the Philippines in greater danger not only because of its geographical location as a next-door neighbor of China but also because of the continuously growing trade between China and the Philippines.

There is a big probability the new virus might get into the country soon and fast, if we again relax our guard this early. While the country may have stopped importing pork from China because of the still lingering African Swine Fever, the flood of smuggled imported frozen meat from China nevertheless continues.

Because of unchecked smuggling owing to the unholy alliance between smugglers and certain corrupt officials in the government, particularly from the Bureau of Customs, we are at risk of getting this new virus.

Recall that SINAG chairman Rosendo So continuously kept on pounding the Department of Agriculture as well as the BOC to put frozen meat smuggling to a halt but all his oft-repeated pleas seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Had the DA and BOC listened to Engr. So, the Philippines would have warded off the entry of African Swine Fever that has already decimated the hog population in Luzon, particularly Pangasinan.

I hope that the smugglers and their cohorts in government would think beyond the huge money they earn from frozen meat smuggling when the health of the people in the whole nation will again be compromised.

No, we are not suggesting a boycott of China’s wide range of products, similar to what India did when its border troops engaged their Chinese counterparts in deadly hand-to-hand combat a few weeks ago.

We only want to share the advocacy of SINAG for a complete halt to frozen meat smuggling from China. Let us not forget that COVID-19 emanated from Wuhan City in China.

*          *          *          *

As gleaned from statistics, Pangasinan has the lowest COVID-19 infection among the 10 most populous provinces in the country. As of the latest count, we have only 103 coronavirus cases with only 27 now considered as active.

Cebu, the country’s most populous province if you add the population of highly urbanized Cebu City, is on top of the ladder. There is probability that it could soon overtake Metro Manila as the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in PH today.

We are most impressed not only with how Pangasinan is managing the crisis but how it is addressing infectious and hazardous wastes coming from its various hospitals that are jointly fighting the pandemic as shown on Capitol News TV aired on USATV.

The Pangasinan Provincial Hospital has been using the modern Medical Waste Autoclave Micro-wave machine with built-in shredders since December last year.

The Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos City acquired the same modern facility in February this year. Soon, a similar facility will be installed by the Variance Trading Corporation at the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital in Tayug .

These were bought by the provincial government to handle pathologic, hazardous, and infectious wastes generated by hospitals. The infectious wastes include vials, needles, ampules, used gloves, and intravenous lines by sterilizing, disinfecting, and heating them in micro-wave temperature before shredding them to bits and safely storing them and finally, disposing them at a waste disposal facility maintained by Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation, would make them less harmful to humans.

To dispose of hazardous wastes emanating from COVID-19 carriers, these are sterilized and disinfected too before being placed inside tightly sealed drums.

I doubt if the national media ever highlighted all these in their recent reports.

It is a fact that the provincial government is doing everything it can under its control in order to realize its vision to make Pangasinenses the healthiest among Filipinos. And it is now coming closer to that.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments