Inflation has weakened families’ coronavirus disease 2019’s (COVID-19) defenses amid new variants, BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said on Sunday.
She said rising prices have forced families to spend less on personal hygiene.
“I suspect inflation contributed to the reasons people in Metro Manila became more vulnerable to COVID and contributed to the current upsurge of new COVID cases. Humina ang depensa ng pangkaraniwang mamamayan kasi kapos na sila sa pambili ng face mask, sabon, rubbing alcohol, at iba pang depensa sa COVID,” Co said.
“If elevated inflation persists, then we can expect continued weak minimum health standards compliance in the weeks and months ahead,” she added.
According to Co, food prices have not yet stabilized and at this time when food becomes expensive, people would tend to spend much less on face masks, face shields and personal hygiene essentials, making them vulnerable to COVID-19.
She said local governments must be wise to mobilize wellness influencers with appropriate training on COVID-19 safety. Rio N. Araja