It has been more than six months already since the coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic Corona-Virus hit the Philippines and the whole world. People were hiding in their homes, praying and hoping that soon the virus would be wiped out. Quarantines and lockdowns were implemented. But still, we see the fact differently as the everyday record shows the rapid increase of infected patients. It is indeed a struggle with no end in sight yet—not yet!
Every morning is the same usual story for everyone during lockdown or quarantine. People wake up, eat, do some chores, read or watch terrifying news, and then later prepare to sleep again. Every morning is laden with the burden to wake up to reality’s bite. The soaring and sweltering effect of the coronavirus shows no sign of ending its impact. The only way to stop it from killing more people all over the world is to find an antidote for it. Everyone could turn into potential victims and yet, the antidote is vague still nowhere to be found. and out of sight. The frail truth lies wide open for everyone. Even a five-year-old kid would know that unless there is a cure, the future is still gloomy.
Where are we going exactly? Are we moving towards the goal of ending the virus or are we just waiting to be the next victim?
Recently, a CovidCOVID-19-patient from Cagayan de Oro City brought fear and anxiety to everyone especially the person had from the given fact that it has no travel history or had close contact with another COVID-19-patient. The news troubled the locality people of the city. It pointed to the reality that it could mean a gigantic and scary fact that the transmission was local, and made locally, hence jeopardizing everyone’s safety. Yet, it is a crestfallen fact to know that amidst the frightful and unknown possibilities, the local and government was and is going rather to the opposite direction that put everyone at risk. It is as though we are sleeping in complacency. What if there was more than just one COVID-19-patient in the city?
Being complacent is an irresponsible act. It is an act of cowardice. It is why the Philippines got a record of more than fifty-one thousand infected people as of July 9, 2020. It is the reason why the world is going upside-down. Being complacent is an act of conspiracy against the people. Knowing the fact straight-forward, why can’t we be more careful and avoid thinking that everything was just a mere piece of cake? Our enemy is an invisible hideous monster and we cannot afford to risk more lives before we finally come to a realization.
Every day we are facing an awful number of deaths from people who could have been saved if only the government took practical parameters first-hand right at the very beginning. The people who have died surely did not deserve to die. Their deaths could have been prevented, only if we and our government were are not too complacent about the situation.
The economy is facing a terrible challenge. The world is becoming furious but we could not afford to lose more lives. Where are we going then? The sluggish development, some people say, is the outcome of our indolence, but there is a bigger reason for the slow growth. It is structural. The reason for the ineffective control of the pandemic is not just structural, it is also highly politicized. Prevention should have been done on day one. Addressing the pandemic in the middle of the speedy spread will just be too late. The coronavirus would have taken hold already of people’s lives, including the front-liners, and they die an unnecessary death.