Coronavirus cases drop 20%; DoH to use 4-month TB treatment
THE PHILIPPINES posted 2,747 COVID-19 infections in the previous week with a daily average of 392, according to health authorities.
The daily average from June 19 to 25 was 20% lower than the average cases per day from a week earlier, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a bulletin.
It said there were 32 severe and critical cases, accounting for 1.17% of the cases during the same period.
The DoH also reported two new deaths but said these did not occur from June 19 to July 2.
It said 273 out of 1,998 intensive care unit (ICU) beds had been used as of July 2, while 3,010 out 17,026 of non-ICU beds had been occupied.
There were 442 severe and critical admissions, it added.
TB TREATMENT
Meanwhile, the Health department said it will shorten the treatment plan for tuberculosis (TB) to four months from six months by the third quarter of the year.
“We want to implement this short course of four-month therapy by the 3rd quarter of 2023,” Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa said at a news conference streamed live on Facebook, citing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation.
“WHO has recommended us to adopt the four-month treatment for regimen–which is two months of a certain list of drugs, and another two months of another set of drugs,” he said.
The high number of tuberculosis cases in the Philippines was largely due to social determinants, Mr. Herbosa said, citing the refusal to avail services under the government’s TB-DOTS program, stigma, and lack of decent housing which quickens transmissions.
The DoH chief said several technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), will be used by the department in addressing the tuberculosis problem.
“We will use artificial intelligence in TB detection by radiographs that can be read by AI.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
