Experts in the Philippines warned that the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the country could balloon to 40,000 by the end of June. The experts made their prediction based on the current rate of the disease's transmission in the country.
The jump in the number of confirmed cases in the country was based on research made by professors from the University of the Philippines. Based on their findings, the outbreak in the country could still worsen if proper measures are not taken.
Trend in Disease Transmission
As indicated in the current trend of the outbreak in the Philippines, the coronavirus has a reproduction rate of 1.2 in the country. This rate refers to the average number of people that a disease carrier can infect. Given the disease's current reproduction rate, the researchers warned that the number of confirmed cases in the Philippines could reach 40,000 by the end of the month. The researchers also noted that the deaths caused by the virus could reach over 1,800 if proper measures are not taken.
"If both national and local governments fail to provide a prompt and adequate response, all the societal and financial sacrifices of society could be wasted, and we will likely experience another wave," the researchers stated, according to Rappler.
Latest COVID-19 Updates in The Philippines
According to the latest report released by the country's Department of Health, it has detected 443 additional confirmed cases on June 11, bringing the Philippines' total to 24,175. Overall, 1,036 individuals have already died in the country due to the virus while 5,165 have recovered. Despite imposing lockdown restrictions in different parts of the country for about three months, the number of confirmed cases in the country still continues to rise. The researchers noted that cooperation between various sectors of the country should be continued in order to curb the spread of the disease.
"Without continued vigilance on the part of the government, private sector, civil society, and citizens, the continued relaxation of restrictions in the NCR and in Cebu may lead to the pandemic getting out of control," the researchers stated.
