Rationale. COVID-19 pandemic disease, can be transmitted during gastrointestinal procedures, via aerosolized droplets, and via fecal shedding. Both international and local endoscopy societies have issued strategies to alleviate the risk to endoscopy personnel. However, several barriers against the implementation of these recommendations exist thus individual center’s policies are employed whenever applicable. Objectives. This narrative study aims to describe the current experience and set-up in the endoscopy unit of a COVID referral center, discuss the stratification of patients for endoscopy, the operational management of the personnel and endoscopy unit in line with the adapted local and international guidelines and offer endoscopists a quick reference guide to adapt endoscopy practice during the pandemic in a resource-limited setting. Methodology. This paper reviews and consolidates current endoscopy guidelines and describes the single-center experience of Philippine General Hospital. Results. In resource-limited settings, with uncertainties of prolonged COVID-19 impact to healthcare, modification of practice, adherence to strategies and recommendations, empowerment of workforce, establishing the sustainability of resources, training, and service to patients, are essential components to combat current dilemma brought about by this pandemic. Conclusion. Integration of current local and international guidelines encompass all aspects of endoscopy practice during the pandemic. The recommendations cited are aimed to guide other resource-limited endoscopy units for potential changes and guidance in the overall practice.
COVID-19

Background: The internet contains both accurate and false coronavirus-related information. Is the public equipped with electronic health literacy in navigating online material to make informed health decisions? Objective: This study measured Filipino adults’ perceived level of COVID-19-related eHealth literacy, and how this affects their adherence to preventive practices against COVID-19 infection. Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, data were collected from 345 adult respondents who were patients, and their companions, consulting in Healthway Family Clinics in Marikina and Rizal. They answered self-administered electronic questionnaires in English or Filipino. The data collection tool was adapted from the Coronavirus-Related eHealth Literacy Scale (CoV-eHEALS) with permission from the authors. Pearson correlation determined the relationship between mean CoV-eHEALS and mean Protective Behavior Adherence (PBA) score. ANOVA determined the relationship of CoV-eHEALS and PBA with sociodemographic variables. Results: Higher Covid-related eHealth literacy is associated with better adherence to protective behaviors against COVID-19. The overall mean CoV-eHEALS is 23.67 while the overall mean PBA score is 3.81 (r=0.32). Younger age, female sex, and high educational attainment are associated with high CoV-eHEALS. Female sex and high educational attainment are associated with high PBA score Conclusion eHealth literacy is essential for COVID-19 awareness since it influences the public‘s engagement in preventive behavior. Sociodemographic variables should be considered in health education, targeting individuals of younger age, male sex, and lower education. Evaluation of the reliability of online sources Filipinos use to gather health-related information is a possible focus for future research.
COVID-19

Background: The global economy has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which proved to be more than a public health crisis. Volume and gross income have also declined in the health service sector including the diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy divisions of the radiology departments in other countries. Objective: This study determined the change in volume and gross income of the Radiology Department of a tertiary hospital which was designated as a COVID-19 referral center in the Philippines. Methodology: Monthly records of the profit centers of the Radiology Department were reviewed noting the volume and gross income one year before and during the first year of the pandemic. Results: Records were successfully retrieved for the volume of procedures and revenue for each profit center from one year before the pandemic (from March 1, 2019 to February 28, 2020) and the first year of the pandemic (from March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021). There was a total reduction of 120,046 procedures conducted and Php 84,837,614.16 in revenues generated between the two periods. This is equivalent to a 61.98% (range: 47.92% to 83.37%) decrease in the volume of procedures and a 45.02% (range: 31.08% to 77.86%) decrease in revenue. These changes were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic caused a decline of all profit centers in the Radiology Department. The decline was associated with changes in quarantine restrictions. Data from this study may help the administration of the institution or other institutions to conduct their own studies and cope with future pandemics of similar magnitude or further surges of the current pandemic on decisions regarding budget and resource allocation.
COVID-19

The Philippine COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) is a set of guidelines that provides up-to-date evidence-based recommendations on COVID-19 treatment, diagnosis, infection prevention and control. This living guideline follows the Department of Health’s Manual for Clinical Practice Guideline Development1 and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Approach.2 The diagram below is a summary of the treatment regimens gathered from the Philippine COVID-19 Living Recommendations website. The recommendation for each drug regimen is based on the assessment and literature review done by the Living CPG Task Force (LCTF).3 The LCTF follows the classification of quality of evidence enumerated and described in Box 1.
COVID-19

The Republic Act No. 11494, also known as the "Bayanihan to Recover as One Act," mandates the allocation of funds and provides guidance for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.1 However, with the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH) established different policies and guidelines for the selection, access, and deployment of these vaccines throughout the country.2 3 4 5 To date, the Philippine Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has granted emergency use authorizations for eight COVID-19 vaccines, namely: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, Sputnik V, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, Covaxin, COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, and COVID-19 Vaccine BIBP/Sinopharm.6 One of the guidelines established by the DOH is the implementation of a prioritization scheme, wherein citizens are categorized into different prioritization groups based on risk of exposure to the virus and risk of mortality from COVID-19.4 In Davao City, the COVID-19 vaccination roll out started last 5 March 2021 among health care workers at Southern Philippines Medical Center. 7 Aiming to vaccinate 1,200,000 individuals in Davao City,8 the City Government of Davao, DOH Davao Region, and other participating sectors established 59 vaccination sites throughout the city.9 We gathered online data posted in the official facebook pages of DOH Davao Region and the City Government of Davao. According to the DOH Davao Region reports, as of 27 July 2021, a total of 742,710 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were allotted for Davao City. From the total allotted doses, the City Government of Davao City has successfully administered a total of 330,954 first doses, and 149,122 second doses of COVID-19 vaccines.10 According to the City Government of Davao, as of 25 July 2021, Davao City has administered a total of 85,260 doses (1st dose - 47,332 doses, 2nd dose - 37,928 doses) of COVID-19 vaccine among individuals in the A1 prioritization group, 103,837 doses (1st dose - 76,472 doses, 2nd dose - 27,365 doses) among those in the A2 prioritization group, 179,479 (1st dose - 101,833 doses, 2nd dose - 77,646 doses) among those in the A3 prioritization group, 98,502 doses (1st dose - 97,446 doses, 2nd dose - 1,056 doses) among those in the A4 prioritization group, and 12,998 doses (1st dose - 7,871 doses, 2nd dose - 5,127 doses) among those in the A5 prioritization group.11 All in all, as of 27 July 2021, 149,122 individuals out of Davao City's target of 1,200,000 individuals (12.43%) have received complete COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, 181,832 individuals have already received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine.8
COVID-19

As the biggest COVID-19 facility in Mindanao, Davao City’s Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) rolled out its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to some of its frontline health care workers (HCW) last March 5, 2021. The COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines is an extensive and comprehensive immunization campaign to help curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and protect the people against severe COVID-19. To expedite the vaccine procurement and administration process, the Republic Act 11525 or the “COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021” was enacted into law on February 26, 2021.1 The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF), in partnership with local governments, have been tasked to implement, facilitate, and monitor the COVID-19 vaccination program.2
COVID-19

In the Philippines, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accorded a tremendous challenge to health care in terms of protecting frontline staff from contracting the virus and providing optimal medical management to patients with or without COVID-19. Across the globe, even countries with well-developed healthcare systems are battling COVID-19 with great difficulty. In terms of local response, on March 15, 2020, Davao City was placed under community quarantine1 to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Further restrictions on work, businesses, transportation, and other daily activities were imposed during an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from April 4, 2020 to May 15, 2020,2 3 4 5 followed by a 15-day general community quarantine (GCQ).6 7 Patients from Davao City who are suspected of having COVID-19 began to be referred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) starting in early March 2020. The SPMC Laboratory Unit also started processing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 as a subnational laboratory late in March. Being the only subnational laboratory in the southern Philippines during the first few weeks of community quarantine, SPMC processed most of Mindanao's COVID-19 RT-PCR tests.
COVID-19

Due to the long quarantine, with several levels of intensity and degrees of implementation, we all have, more or less, similar experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting early this year, we stayed home for a long time, we had ourselves tested, our friends or relatives had themselves tested, and some of us may even have tested positive for the infection. We listened to, or read, or watched the news, about the statistics of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, lockdowns, reopenings, resurgence and reinfections. And then, we received all sorts of information—true, fake, inaccurate, anecdotal—and some were derived from systematically produced knowledge, i.e., properly conducted research or ongoing research.
COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has been having a negative impact on the availability of our public transportation. As the national government imposed enhanced community quarantines (March 16, 2020 in Luzon and April 24, 2020 in Visayas and Mindanao) and subsequent modifications of quarantine measures, the operation of public transportations had to be halted, and then modified to partial availability. Because of these drastic changes, it has been difficult for health care workers to commute to and from their respective workplaces.
COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people in almost all countries and territories around the globe.1 Most regions have been forced into varying levels of lockdown depending on the impact of the disease in the affected region. Many hospitals were also overwhelmed with the volume of patients--both those with COVID-19 and those with other conditions--despite optimizing and modifying service delivery platforms in response to the pandemic. Health facilities struggled to cope with the pandemic, rendering them unprepared for the sudden strain on the delivery of health services and hospital operations, and for the shortage of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE).2 3 4 5 6 The community quarantine which started in Davao City on March 15, 20207 also limited the delivery flow of these supplies to the frontline healthcare workers. Patients from Davao City and other nearby cities suspected of having COVID-19 began to be referred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).
COVID-19