SCI-TECH
Del-Talk of the Town COVID-19 continues its rampage across the world. As vaccines are being developed throughout the globe, many expect the long-awaited end to this calamity. However, there is one obstacle in particular that prevents this from happening: the Delta variant. Get to know the variant Delta was first identified in India, until reaching Great Britain, then soon making its way into the United States. It is said to have an increase in transmissibility and ability to cause a severe form of disease. It is now dominant all around the world. Countries such as Mexico, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Philippines, and others have registered cases with it. There are a few major traits about the Delta variant that make it stand out from the other variants. Delta is more contagious The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) labeled the Delta variant “a variant of concern” because of it being more contagious than other strains of the virus. According to the CDC, it is twice as contagious as the variants that came before it. Although it is more contagious, the same precautions, such as wearing face masks, maintaining distance, and avoiding crowds, still work against the said variant.
disease. According to the CDC, the vaccines, namely Pfizer and Moderna, show great results in preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. They also recommend booster shots for the Pfizer vaccine for those who are aged 65 and up, those with underlying medical conditions aged 18-65, and those whose work puts them at a higher risk of exposure to the virus. It is important, however, to note that those who are vaccinated may have spread the variant to those who are unvaccinated. Thus, it is still important to wear face masks, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.
Unvaccinated people are at risk A study from Imperial College London shows that those who are unvaccinated are more likely to get infected by the virus than those who are fully vaccinated. This includes the Delta variant as well. Those who are vaccinated, on the other hand, have a lower chance of transmitting the disease and therefore have a lower chance of spreading the delta variant as well. Vaccination is the best defense Doctors say that vaccination is the best protection against the variant and the
Myron cARLOS ESPIRITU
Mass Testing to Mass Resignation
Overworked but underpaid, nurses in the Philippines threaten mass resignation unless given the promised benefits by the government. This is evident, given that the government’s pandemic response has been less than impressive, as hospitals fill, new variants run rampant in the country, and workload for nurses increases by day. Jao Clumia, union president of St. Luke’s Medical Center, says that health workers are already tendering their resignations. “Healthcare workers are tired and extremely demoralized. Many have already resigned and many more want to,” Clumia stated. Healthcare
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workers have been a pillar of our country since the outbreak of the pandemic. So, how can we encourage them to continue their hard work? A possible solution is the payment of the promised benefits. The government allotted special risk allowances for frontline workers, including hazard pay. To be eligible for the hazard pay, a public or private health worker must deal directly with COVID-19 patients. This has been long overdue, and it could have been disbursed as soon as the pandemic began to worsen. Despite this, nurses attest that they have not been compensated as promised. This is alarming, given that the government has allotted a lot of money for special risk allowances. Frontliners have also protested the resignation of Duque. This sprouted from staff calling him out at the start of the pandemic for not having a concrete plan.
On August 31, 2021, he failed to meet the deadline for the payment of promised benefits to healthcare workers, and was forced to resign once more. Duque is riding high on a wave of controversies, namely being the chairman of PhilHealth, which is filled with corruption, and for passing the blame to his subordinates, even reprimanding them in front of the media and the president. The mass resignation of health workers is not a minor issue. Going through with this could lead to the country’s pandemic response to start crashing down. Both citizens and government officials must pay attention to their requests. No one knows what they need more than themselves.
