He said the COVID-19 wave could last four to five months based on current trends compared to the initial forecast that new infections could start going down after two months.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2) — OCTA Research fellow Guido David on Tuesday said the rise in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila has exceeded the duration of the surge in South Africa and it is not showing signs of slowing down.
“In South Africa, which we frequently use as a comparison for our projects, the entire wave lasted for two months so by the second month, it’s mostly downward. But now in Metro Manila we haven’t seen the peak yet,” he told CNN Philippines. “If it continues like it is now, I mean the wave is going to last about four to five months, which is surprisingly slow.”
OCTA also noted that the hospital occupancy for COVID-19 patients rose by nearly 5% to 36.5% as of July 3, but still below the moderate level.
With cases rising in the capital region, David said it is expected that new infections will also go up in other regions.
