Duterte assures public of transparency amid nCoV scare in PH
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 03:11:32 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the government “will never hide anything” about the true state of the 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country, as he allayed fears over the outbreak that has killed over 300 people and infected thousands of others.
In a press conference after an “emergency meeting” on the coronavirus threat in Malacañang on Monday night, Duterte insisted that there was no reason for the government to hide such health-related information from the public, as it has the situation under control.
“Wala naman — wala namang itinago doon (There’s nothing. nothing is being hidden). We will not… I can assure you. This government will never hide anything,” Duterte told reporters.
“If it says that you are going to die tomorrow because of this — it’s a contagion all over, we will tell you that,” he said.
Duterte said it was useless pretending that there were fewer persons under investigation for 2019-nCoV because it was not worth hiding.
“If it would cost your life, lives, we will not hide that. Why should we? It’s a reality. Whether you admit it or not, you have to bury the dead. So what is there to hide? It’s not a treasure. It is not something of value to us. It does not contribute to the national wealth. Why should we hide?” he said.
The President made the assurance after rumors surfaced on the internet that the Department of Health (DoH) was hiding information, particularly on the two 2019-nCoV cases whose confirmation was not released at the same time.
On Saturday, the country’s second 2019-nCoV case, a 44-year-old Chinese male from Wuhan, China, died. He was the first reported death due to the deadly virus outside of China.
He was the companion of the 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China who was the first confirmed case of nCoV in the country.
The President has assured the public that there was no need for the public to be hysterical, saying the virus will “die a natural death.”
“Everything is well in the country. There’s nothing really to be extra scared of that coronavirus thing. Although it has affected a lot of countries but in… You know one or two in any country is not really that fearsome,” Duterte said.
READ: Duterte assures public ‘all is well’, calls for stop to ‘sinophobia’
“You know, this coronavirus is scaring people all over the country. The response of the people from the initial reports of coronavirus was almost hysterical when there was really no need for it actually. And if there is really a virus going around, why do you have to be hysterical?” he added.
With the help of “medical science,” Duterte said powerful medicines have been formulated to treat various illnesses.
“I’m sure I said that every nation who has the resources would or already are at work to find out a solution or a way out,” the President said.
“Malay mo ‘yung atin (Who knows we)— the Filipinos are also doing it. They are conducting… Who knows that tayo ang maka-una makita (we could be the first to find a treatment),” he added.
Currently, there is no specific treatment recommended for 2019-nCoV. Instead, supportive care is given to infected individuals to help relieve symptoms. WITH A REPORT FROM REINA C. TOLENTINO