According to an emergency medicine physician, one of the most important thing people can equip themselves with during a pandemic such as the current COVID-19 outbreak is having the right information about the situation.
“It’s good to be prepared. With what? Initially, I would tell you to be prepared with the right information. We have to be very discriminating with information and we have to practice vigilance,” Dr. Elis Maghirang said during the recent TACS (Tactical, Survival, and Arms) Expo in Taguig City.
The expo, organized by ARMSCOR Global Defense, tackled timely topics and relevant information about the global issue of pandemic and COVID-19. Highlights of the discussion included ways to prepare for a pandemic and ways to cope and combat the spread of COVID-19.
Topics discussed included “Pandemic Preparedness” by Dr. Duds Raymond Santos, “Pandemic, Epidemic, Outbreak ATBP.” by Dr. Maghirang, “Pandemic without Panic: A Pandemic Preparedness Session” by Dr. Daryl Santiago, and “Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of Surviving a Pandemic’” by Dr. Mikey Vergara.
Dr. Maghirang warned that fake news and wrong information can only aggravate the situation and create widespread panic. He cited credible sources of information such as the World Health Organization, the Department of Health, Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Philippine College of Physicians, International Society of Infectious Disease, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others.
“We’ve got to have a reasonable response, instead of hysteria and panic, so we can allocate resources properly especially to those who are in need such as ‘vulnerable communities’ like the elders, the children, and those who are sick,” he added.
Echoing Dr. Maghirang’s statement, Dr. Santiago, medical consultant at the Makati Medical Center, shared that pandemic preparedness initiatives include public-private sector and education campaign caravans for people to be properly informed about COVID-19.
Important measures to implement are authorities’ continued testing, research, and data gathering; border controls such as temperature screening at the airport and all points of entry, placing high risk-travelers under quarantine, deploying healthcare teams at the aerobridge, disallowing visitors from COVID-19 epicenters, deferring all non-essential travels, and collecting contact details for possible tracing in the future; and implementing cleaning protocols and proper disinfection of premises.
Emphasis was also given on community and individual responsibility with the public encouraged to practice good personal hygiene like proper handwashing and sanitation, to wear surgical mask when one is sick, and to keep one’s immune system healthy and strong.
Dr. Vergara summarized in his segment “Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of Surviving a Pandemic’” through the acronym COVID, what the general public can do to prepare for a potential pandemic. C stands for Vitamin C to strengthen one’s immune system; O for observation and objective findings as people stay tuned to the latest research, data, and development about the virus; V for vaccines/anti-viral medicines as authorities develop these to fight the virus; I for infection control and isolation by being responsible when one is sick and staying at home to recover; and D stands for diagnostics since it is important to consult a medical professional when one starts to feel the symptoms.
“ARMSCOR, through the TACS Expo, will continue to help build a disaster-resilient Philippines and this will also include preparing for situations that threaten our security and health as a nation such as COVID-19. We hope to educate the public and help them combat the dangers of the virus,” said Gina Marie Angangco, deputy chief executive officer and senior executive vice president of ARMSCOR Global Defense.
The TACS Expo will also be held in key cities and areas this year with upcoming events scheduled on June 11-14 at the SM Megatrade Hall; August 6-9 at SMX Lanang Davao; and November 12-15 at SMX Mall of Asia in Pasay City