As we continue to enjoy the festivities amid loosened health restrictions over the holiday season, here’s something worth keeping in mind: the OCTA Research Group has warned that the chances of getting infected with COVID-19 have increased slightly.
The research group said that the COVID reproduction rate is now at 0.70, up from their last reading of 0.42 in mid-December. Reproduction rate refers to the number of persons a COVID-19 positive individual can infect.
OCTA explained in a statement that the number has historically gone down in Metro Manila, likely because of the number of people returning to their home provinces for the holidays.
“If we compare this with last year, the reproduction number also spiked before the holidays, followed by a dip during the holidays…and then an uptick by the first week of January 2021,” Dr. Guido David, OCTA Research fellow, explained on Twitter.
David added that based on testing, the number in Metro Manila has raised to 0.79. “This is a more accurate representation of the reproduction number because it is not affected by backlog,” he added.
David reminded the public to maintain minimum public health standards during the holidays, and advised people with colds symptoms to remain wary of mingling with other people.
Despite the slight uptick, the number is still below 1.4, which is said to be a critical level. Still, it pays to continue keeping your guards up.
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