It goes without saying that intensified contact tracing is needed to contain the virus that has not shown any sign of slowing down. Mayor Sara Duterte in a radio Interview last Monday underscored this fact, saying that the new cases of COVID-19 that were reported were not traced from the derby or travel from Manila as in previous cases. This means the virus could have been transmitted in groceries, markets, food delivery services, take out counters or simply anywhere people converge.
The World Health Organization has issued a guideline on contact tracing during the height of the Ebola virus that has swept across Africa. The health organization said that people in close contact with someone who is infected are at higher risk of becoming infected themselves, and potentially also infecting others.
The mayor also said last Saturday that in the random testing in Leon Garcia in Agdao District and in Brgy 23 C, one of the four persons confirmed positive was asymptomatic, and could have infected many others as he could be doing the same routine, meeting people and visiting crowded places.
This is why contact tracing needs to be done to avert the spread of the virus. Once a person is confirmed positive, all of those around him and the people he met should be identified and made to undergo testing. Those who are asymptomatic need to be monitored so they can get proper treatment to prevent infecting others.
Hard as it may be, staying at home is still the best option to flatten the curve of COVID- 19 infection. Those who are given quarantine passes should be aware of their responsibilities in keeping their family safe by practicing proper hygiene whenever they return to their homes.
Contact tracing is urgent, as the mayor said, and we hope people will cooperate in providing truthful information. We anticipate returning to our school and workplaces but if we do not participate in this fight to stop the virus, we might not be getting their in May 15.
