‘Prolonged’ COVID-19 wave may last until ‘ber’ months — OCTA Research

ANTISURGE SOLUTION – The projected increase in daily COVID-19 cases until next month may be controlled or slowed if more people, like this group of senior citizens at the Marikina Mega Vaccination Facility, get vaccinated and boosted, according to the Department of Health. (NIñO JESUS ORBETA / INQUIRER)

MANILA, Philippines – The current “prolonged” COVID-19 wave in the country may last until the “ber” months, OCTA Research fellow Guido David said Monday.

David said the current wave is “taking longer than what we expected”, pointing out that the Omicron BA.4 wave in South Africa only lasted for two months.

“Nagsimula [dito sa Pilipinas] more or less around June, July to August so dapat naka-two months na tayo,” David said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(It started here in the Philippines around June then July, August so we should be in our second month already.)

“Pero hindi pa tayo nasa peak (But we’re not at the peak yet). It’s taking longer. Right now, it’s looking like it will last up to 4 to 5 months, well into the ‘ber’ months,” he added.

David explained that the prolonged COVID-19 wave in the country may be due to other variants which are causing additional infections.

Another possibility, David said, is the waning immunity from the vaccines as fewer individuals avail of the COVID-19 booster shot.

“Most of them had their vaccines last year pa and konti lang yung nagpa-booster so nagkakaroon ng waning immunity. Bumababa yung antibody levels natin,” David said.

(Most of them had their vaccines last year and fewer people got their booster shots so there is waning immunity. Our antibody levels are going down.)

“Then, adherence to minimum public health standards is always important,” he added.

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