The valiant efforts of the Philippine health authorities, private health facilities, healthcare frontlines and local government officials against the COVID-19 pandemic must be immediately complemented with more test kits, supplies and equipment to reduce the country’s mortality rate which is at a high of 6.32%.

As positive cases increase in the provinces, the need for test kits, personal protective equipment, face masks, sanitary gloves, ventilators, medicines and allied supplies becomes more urgent nationwide like in the Bicol Region where the zero positive incidence has been breached with four confirmed cases.

The novel coronavirus mortality rate is the percentage of deaths out of the total confirmed or positive cases.

In order to reduce the country’s high death rate, there is immediate need for the government to undertake the following:

1. Maximize the procurement of accurate test kits and other requisite supplies and equipment for distribution to all medical facilities, including those located in the various regions and provinces;

2. Increase the number of DOH-accredited testing facilities nationwide to assure early, fast and efficient testing before the medical condition of the patient deteriorates to the point of death;

3. Provide the necessary information to local government officials as to the whereabouts and status of PUIs, PUMs and positive cases in their localities in order to facilitate contact tracing even as their identities are protected;

4. Intensify information and compliance with community quarantine, social distancing, and sanitary protocols; and

5. Emphasize that personal quarantine is for self-protection and to prevent transmission, but social distancing and community quarantine must be observed to further prevent the spread of the virus and minimize getting infected.

With 1,075 patients positive for the novel coronavirus and 68 deaths as of 28 March 2020, the mortality rate of the Philippines is 6.32% compared to the worldwide death rate of 4.65% with 30,851 deaths out of 662,857 patients who have tested positive for the virus.

The top 15 afflicted Asian countries have an average mortality rate of 2.52%, while the top 12 countries worldwide have an average death rate of 3.80%, compared to the Philippines’ 6.32%.

The Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Corona Virus Research Center tracks down the worldwide daily data on the contagion.

In Asia, with exception of Iran and Indonesia, the Philippines has the highest death rate compared to Qatar with 590 confirmed cases and one death or a mortality rate of 0.17%; Singapore with 802 confirmed cases and two deaths or a mortality rate 0.25%; Thailand with 1,245 confirmed cases and six deaths or a mortality rate of 0.48%;

Malaysia with 2,320 confirmed cases and 27 deaths or a mortality rate of 1.16%; South Korea with 9,478 confirmed cases and 144 deaths or a mortality rate of 1.52%; and China with Hong Kong with 81,999 confirmed cases and 3,299 deaths or a mortality rate of 4.02%.

Worldwide, not counting Italy, Spain and Iran, the Philippines registers the biggest percentage of casualties, and even more than China’s 4.02%.

Outside of Asia, the countries with the lowest death rates are Germany with 57,695 confirmed cases and 433 deaths or a mortality rate of 0.75%; the United States with 122,666 confirmed cases and 2,147 deaths or a mortality rate of 1.75%; and Switzerland with 14,076 confirmed cases and 264 deaths or a mortality rate of 1.87%.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN