The scare that 2019-nCov created among Filipinos is nothing new. It happened in the year 2003 during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak and in 2019 as the world experienced the Middle East Respiratory Corona Virus (MERS CoV). All were deadly infections out of the coronavirus that resulted to several deaths worldwide and scare among Filipinos but nothing can compare to how the novel strain has impacted on the lives of Filipinos.

Suddenly, surgical face masks went out of stock not mentioning its prices that have skyrocketed in some towns. Gross sales of vitamin C soared. 

The greater national sentiment is for the government to immediately temporarily ban people from China in the country.

Filipinos suddenly are walking around the streets with their masks on and suspicious of any Chinese looking indivuduals who cough or sneeze in public.

Everyone is afraid to contract the virus and die. But what really caused the panic when it could have been avoided since the present government has declared that it’s manageable is the very same government that failed to immediately address its people. Instead it allowed its own keyboard warriors to concoct stories about Chinese people in the country that are being discriminated by Filipinos.

Spreading like wild fire are stories about other countries in the world that are managing several cases of affected individuals and still managed to send help to China while in the Philippines where only two cases are confirmed and are not even Filipinos everybody is blaming the government and is in panic mode.

This is not written to attack the government but the President could have immediately addressed the people in the same way he talks like a defective player about his failed campaign against illegal drugs. What took him so long? 

It’s normal for Filipinos to panic because it is fact that our health services and facilities are inferior compared to other affected countries. Imagine a press briefing by the health department where they confirmed a first case and failed to confirm another one who died a day after. It’s a small thing but speaks a lot about the preparedness of this government.

The Department of Health (DOH) denied having admitted a suspected case until they were able to confirm one case leaving all the people to scramble and panic by themselves. 

DOH failed to immediately issue a protocol to all local government units on what to do in cases that there are suspicions or cases under investigation especially in remote areas. 

Now they want to pin the blame to the Filipinos and point everything to politics and that instead of working together everybody is blaming the government.

2019-nCoV may have caused several deaths in China but its not yet the end of the world. The most that this government can do is to assume a PRO-ACTIVE role and as for the people, leave clean and stay healthy.