Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesman of COVID-19 Task Force said whether or not new Omicron variants XBB and XBC have entered the city the public should protect themselves from the severity of the disease.
“We can't be blind and deaf because it is still very much around. We just have to live with COVID-19 and protect ourselves from the severity of the disease. The only way without fear of dying of COVID is to get doses and boosters,”Schlosser said in a report from the City Information Office (CIO).
She said it's inevitable to contract the disease since economic, social, and educational activities have already resumed, which enabled more face-to-face gatherings with only face mask wearing (in enclosed areas, public transportation, hospitals, and outdoor crowded areas) and frequent handwashing as the minimum public health standards (MPHS).
Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergiere earlier reported that Davao Region is among the regions with detected Omicron XBB cases. However, Schlosser said they are still awaiting the report from DOH Davao about it.
Schlosser said, “it's the nature of the virus to mutate. It's a matter of time before it reaches our households. With the number that DOH recorded, for all we know, we already have different variants here. We should no longer be surprised if the new variants reach our homes,” she said.
She said new variants are more highly transmissible but are easily resolved. But the main concern is when it hits an unvaccinated or unboosted fully-dosed immunocompromised individual or someone with autoimmune as it may result in death.
She also urged the public to take precautionary measures now that usual activities are back to pre-pandemic. "If you can do social distance, why not? Still wear your face masks even if it's voluntary (in open and uncrowded areas). Your face mask is a layer of protection for you," Schlosser said.
File Photo from Davao City Government
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