Dr. Guido David, a member of the OCTA Research Group, questioned the proposal to no longer include mild and asymptomatic cases from the daily 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) bulletin issued by the Department of Health.
"The best is transparency sa publiko. Kung ito yung bilang ng kaso, bakit naman hindi irereport yung bilang kasama na ang mild at asymptomatic," David said on Tuesday, December 7, during DZRH's Dos Por Dos.
During a talk at the Asian Institute of Management last Wednesday, December 1, Socieconomic Planning Sec. Karl Kendrick Chua proposed that the government only count those who have severe symptoms and critical cases of COVID-19.
Chua. the head of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said that adjusting the metrics will reduce the need to raise the alert levels when the number of COVID-19 cases goes up.
David warned that the populace, including those with comorbidities, and who have yet to receive a vaccine against COVID-19, will take more risks if they observe that the Philippines only reports a small number of infections.
"Kung mataas yung bilang ng mga kaso, may advisory tayo. So mas mag-iingat tayo," remarked David, who added that the public might doubt the COVID-19 data released by the government if the Philippines will adjust the metrics.
