ILOILO City – How do you keep your sanity in the time of pandemic?
Physical distancing. Self-isolation. Working from home. Loss of social contacts. These experiences during this long period of community quarantine could sink some people into loneliness and depression, and even suicide, according to the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas.
“We need to strengthen not only our physical health but also our mental health,” said Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, medical coordinator for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of DOH Region 6.
Feeling isolated and lonely during this time is a normal reaction, Te stressed but some people may be having a hard time adjusting.
“DOH recognizes the need to institutes responsive strategies and mechanisms that will enable the community and service providers to cope with psychosocial issues brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,” Te assured Western Visayans.
The region now has 130 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Three new ones were recorded yesterday by DOH-6.
“They are all asymptomatic and naka-facility quarantine,” said Te.
She shared some ideas from the Philippine Council for Mental Health that DOH also recommends. Among these are the following:
* It is okay to feel not okay. In situations of extreme stress, one can expect not to feel okay.
* Taking or venting feeling to somebody you trust is helpful to overcome negative feelings due to stress.
* Talking to mental health professionals is okay. People should not be afraid of feeling judged and stigmatized for doing so.
* Engage in helpful activities that can help you enjoy and relax.
* A healthy lifestyle can help maintain positive mental health during this time (such as daily exercise, eating healthy food and good sleep).
Te said the COVID-19 pandemic challenges not only individuals but families and communities.
“If a family member’s health is compromised, there is a feeling of helplessness, even economic instability. These are the common worries and anxieties today,” said Te.
Taking care of one’s health is thus important, she stressed.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bernard Argamosa, a psychiatrist at the National Center for Mental Health, said the number of calls they received has increased during quarantine months with over 2,000 calls from March to May.
“Talagang napaka-importante ang mental health. Itong pandemiya na ito 8is just 10 percent medical, it’s 90 percent psychological. Pwede kang maging asymptomatic, pwede kang hindi tamaan, pero ‘yung effect sa ‘yo napakatagal,” said Argamosa as reported by state-owned People’s Television Network.
As to the three new COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas, Te said these were a 32-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 128), 28-year-old-male from La Castellana, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 129) and 61-year-old-male from Arevalo, Iloilo City (Patient No. 130).
Te said Patient No. 130 was a repatriated overseas worker.
Here’s the latest breakdown of the 130 cases: Aklan, six; Antique, 14; Capiz, six; Guimaras, zero; Iloilo province, 21; Negros Occidental, four; Bacolod City, 10; Iloilo City, 19; and repatriates, 50.
But there was good news, too, yesterday. Te said six more COVID-19 patients recovered. They were the following:
* 27-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 86)
* 27-year-old-male from Bago City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 99)
* 28-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 101)
* 41-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 108)
* 38-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 116)
* 43-year-old-male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 118)
The region’s recovered COVID-19 cases rose to 94. Its deaths due to the disease still stood at 11./PN
