Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Hospital Admissions For Twelve High-Burden Diseases And Five Common Procedures In The Philippines: A National Health Insurance Database Study 2019-2020, Jhanna Uy, Vanessa T. Siy Van, Valerie Gilbert T. Ulep, Diana Beatriz Bayani, Damian Walker

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

The Philippines has the highest cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths in the Western-Pacific. To explore the broader health impacts of the pandemic, we assessed the magnitude and duration of changes in hospital admissions for 12 high-burden diseases and the utilization of five common procedures by lockdown stringency, hospital level, and equity in patient access.

Methods

Our analysis used Philippine social health insurance data filed by 1,295 hospitals in 2019 and 2020. We calculated three descriptive statistics of percent change comparing 2020 to the same periods in 2019: (1) year-onyear, (2) same-month-prior-year, and (3) lockdown periods.

Findings

Disease admissions declined …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Church Gatherings In The Philippines: A Policy Analysis, Grace Zurielle Malolos, Joseph Christian Obnial, Rena Mallillin, Pamela Bianca Pasco, Erika Ong, Arianne Andes, Faith Ann Apat, Emma Teresa Carmela Aportadera, Rafael Valencia, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Iii

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

The Philippines is the largest Christian-majority country in Asia. With church gatherings playing a vital role in the nature of Christianity in the Filipino culture, the advent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Philippines posed challenges to public religious practices amid efforts to mitigate COVID-19 community transmission. Various policy pronouncements from both the government-led Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Diseases and the church-led Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) were issued. These guidelines were implemented in order to address the two-pronged problem on healthcare and religious obligations. While these guidelines were initially contributory to the mitigation …

Understanding Covid-19 Dynamics And The Effects Of Interventions In The Philippines: A Mathematical Modelling Study, Jamie M. Caldwell, Elvira P. De Lara-Tuprio, Timothy Robin Y. Teng, Ma. Regina Justina E. Estuar, Raymond Francis R. Sarmiento, Milinda Abayawardana B. Eng, Robert Neil F. Leong, Richard T. Gray, James G. Wood, Linh-Vi Le, Emma S. Mcbryde, Romain Ragonnet, James M. Trauer

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Background

COVID-19 initially caused less severe outbreaks in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) compared with many high-income countries; possibly because of differing demographics; socioeconomics; surveillance; and policy responses. Here; we investigate the role of multiple factors on COVID-19 dynamics in the Philippines; a LMIC that has had a relatively severe COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods

We applied an age-structured compartmental model that incorporated time-varying mobility; testing; and personal protective behaviors (through a “Minimum Health Standards” policy; MHS) to represent the first wave of the Philippines COVID-19 epidemic nationally and for three highly affected regions (Calabarzon; Central Visayas; and the National Capital …

Communicating Covid-19 Vaccines: Lessons From The Dengue Vaccine Controversy In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Vincen Gregory Yu

Development Studies Faculty Publications

As countries around the world begin to roll out COVID-19 vaccines; vaccine safety communication is more relevant than ever. The dengue vaccine controversy in the Philippines offers lessons that can be applied to immunisation programmes being organised today to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective vaccine safety communication entails (re)building relationships of trust between government and the public; upholding the credibility of scientific institutions and maintaining transparency. It also involves viewing health against the broader framework of equity; using an interdisciplinary approach to health communication and putting a premium on public feedback.

Early Response To Covid-19 In The Philippines, Arianna Maever L. Amit, Veincent Christian F. Pepito, Manuel M. Dayrit

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with weak health systems are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we describe the challenges and early response of the Philippine Government, focusing on travel restrictions, community interventions, risk communication and testing, from 30 January 2020 when the first case was reported, to 21 March 2020. Our narrative provides a better understanding of the specific limitations of the Philippines and other LMICs, which could serve as basis for future action to improve national strategies for current and future public health outbreaks and emergencies.

Philippine Medicinal Plants With Potential Immunomodulatory And Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Activities, Fabian M. Dayrit, Armando M. Guidote Jr, Nina Gloriani, Sheriah Laine M. De Paz-Silava, Irene M. Villaseñor, Rene Angelo S. Macahig, Mario A. Tan, John Ross N. Chua, Isidro C. Sia

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to devastate the world’s health and economy, affecting all aspects of life leading to widespread social disruption. Even as several vaccines have been developed, their availability in developing countries is limited and their efficacy against the variants of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2) needs to be continuously assessed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that vaccines alone will not overcome the global challenges of COVID-19. Medicinal plants may provide the needed support. Herein, we identify Philippine medicinal plants that possess phytochemicals with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and/or immunomodulatory properties that may strengthen one’s immune …