ISOLATION centers for those with Covid-19 serve a purpose in controlling the spread of the virus and preventing hospitals and medical staff from getting overwhelmed by a rise in the number of patients.
Department of Health (DOH) numbers have shown that about 80 percent of those who have the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have either mild symptoms or none at all. They do not need to be hospitalized but some may not be able to isolate themselves at home, putting household members at risk of infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) early on during the pandemic pushed for governments to set up isolation shelters or community isolation centers for those with Covid-19 but who are not at increased risk for severe disease.
In Cebu City, the local government set up these isolation centers in the barangays and in facilities it is managing that can accommodate hundreds of people. With the rising number of infection cases, those lined up are the barangay isolation centers, the Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (Noah) Complex at the South Road Properties, the Cebu City Quarantine Center and the IC3 Bayanihan Center at the IEC Convention Center Cebu.
There have been complaints about conditions at isolation centers. The Noah, as one recent resident said, mixed men and women who, unlike in the biblical ark, were not necessarily spouses or partners, and had inadequate toilet facilities that forced some to do their business on toilet floors. Then, there are non-Covid patients staying inside the facility with a sick family member. On this last item, Noah manager Jocelyn Pesquera said there were 40 persons as of last week considered as significant others or those guardians of some minors and senior citizens being isolated in the facility. They do allow “watchers” in hospitals but having these uninfected individuals in a common infection area defeats the purpose of isolation.
To the credit of those assigned to Noah’s upkeep, the center has to take charge of the 228 patients there with limited resources. More infected persons may come in to fill the 450-bed capacity and additional toilets and shower rooms are being set up but it’s not clear if the center received more funds.
All these being done now at the Noah may not be enough and the need is urgent to make the isolation center conducive to the recovery and healing of those with Covid-19. Isolation facilities serve the purpose of stemming transmission and keeping hospitals available for people who severely need medical intervention.
Without viable isolation facilities, the health system could crumble under the weight of the number of patients beyond capacity.
It goes back to the need to strengthen isolation centers, whether in barangays or facilities managed by the local government, as materiel or ammunition in the war against Covid-19.