Looking back to the day that changed everything

Where were you on March 15, 2020?

We still ask this question today as we hark back to the day when our world stopped. We look back to that day when we were held against our will inside our homes, confused and scared, and never the same again afterwards. Yes, it was the day that started the strict community quarantine in response to the unfolding outbreak of a completely unknown virus known as coronavirus or COVID-19. Those days were long and stretched from days to months to years.

In the few weeks preceding that day, the understanding was that COVID-19 was evolving primarily through international travel. Hence, strict quarantine protocols were implemented for travelers arriving from affected countries at first, then from almost all countries afterwards. Then, airports around the world closed and travel outlawed. Doctors were thrown into unchartered territory with their eyes gaping at their microscopes, hoping to salvage some useful information not only about the origin of the virus but also about its behavior.

We stalked with bated breath every person we suspected of exhibiting the symptoms then rigidly tracked the course of his footprints and the people whom he interacted with. It was absurd if not paranoid, but that is understandable, for a little knowledge is truly a dangerously horrific thing. For the sake of privacy, we called the infected patients by the number according to the order of their discovery. Hence, Patient Number 1 came out sometime in late January 2020. Then in quick succession, emerged Patients No. 2, 3, and 4 in February 2020.

The breakthrough, however, came as Patients No. 5 and 6 emerged, seeking medical intervention at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Metro Manila sometime in March 2020. The hospital’s infectious disease unit, which is noted for hosting a team of medical experts and a comprehensive system of infection prevention, control, and monitoring protocols, was able to accurately conclude that the patients had contracted the virus within the local community.

Through the hospital’s long experience and steep involvement in infectious disease practice, strategies, and research, it confirmed the existence of local transmission and immediately alerted international and local health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health about this important finding.

The recognition of the spread of the virus within local communities rather than through international travel prompted the government to take immediate action through the imposition of a community lockdown that expanded later to become a national lockdown. It was the only available strategic move at that time to protect the public from the spread of the virus and prevent the health-care system from breaking down.

By the time the WHO had officially lifted the pandemic alert in the Philippines, we had counted more than 4 million infections and 65,000 deaths. Hardly anyone of us now can claim not to have at least one in the family, relative, or friend who survived the crisis unscathed. Yes, we have felt sorry, grieved, wept, and may find that five years are not enough for complete healing. We console ourselves by the fact that those dark days had also given us the proudest moment of affirming the extraordinary dedication of health-care workers, and the inspired resilience and unity of the Filipinos that collectively vouchsafed them from the trials and tribulations of the bygone crisis.

As Filipinos reflect on the fifth anniversary of the nationwide lockdown, it underscores the lessons learned from the days, months, even years of struggle. The pandemic highlighted the critical importance of preparedness, the need for robust health-care systems, and the value of community solidarity. It also underscored the significance of science and public health in guiding policy decisions.

There is nothing we may want more than to take the COVID-19 pandemic episode behind us and move on. However, let us not forget the lessons learned during those dire days so we may be able to look beyond it. For our sake and of the next generations, we cannot overemphasize the need to invest more in public health infrastructure, increase the availability and accessibility of health-care services and facilities, and strengthen the integration of medical science into public policymaking.

If there is one good thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, it is to highlight the critical importance of medical science in shaping public health policies. By employing rigorous testing, contact tracing, and epidemiological modeling, health-care professionals were able to provide actionable insights that led to informed government responses.

As we navigate the ongoing but lesser health challenges of today, we are reminded to continuously pursue dedicated advocacy for the development of health science as a cornerstone of both policy development and the public health system. We cannot discount the possibility of the emergence of yet another new variant and the potential for future outbreaks that need our continued vigilance and further harnessing our adaptability to respond to public health issues.

The past five years have been a transformative event for our personal and collective lives, revealing the vulnerabilities in our health response and structures. As we continue to harbor the wounds or feel the scars inflicted by the pandemic, it is important to honor the sacrifices that each one of us has made so that they may serve as the wellspring of our steadfast commitment to building a healthier and more resilient future for all.

We must understand and remember what has become paramount during the crisis remains paramount today in our daily lives and in the days to come. COVID-19 may no longer be a global health emergency, but it is still a global public health challenge.

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Raul C. Pagdanganan was appointed president and CEO of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. He is also a member of the University of the Philippines Board of Regents, the highest policymaking body in the UP System. He is also a recipient from the Professional Regulation Commission Board of Accountancy of the Centenary Award of Excellence as one of the 100 notable CPAs in the last 100 years of accounting profession in the Philippines.