Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) affects not only a person's physiological but also his/her psychological well-being. Unfortunately, the effect is not only among those who are affected by the virus but also those who are not. A number of studies and literatures point out that with the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health problems increased. The lockdowns and even just the fear of getting infected of the virus were seen to be much higher than in normal times. A ccording to “Suicide Ideation and Attempts in a Pediatric Emergency Department Before and During COVID-19”, the rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were higher during the pandemic compared to 2019" among Texan youth aging 11 to 21. The increase is due to stressors such as stay-at-home orders and school closures. In the Philippines, one of the local government units (LGUs) that took seriously the effect of COVID-19 to a person's mental health is the City of Mati in Mindanao. The city government created a Tel
The COVID-19 vaccination program of the Philippine government is being met with distrust and high hesitancy rate. This is primarily due to the Dengvaxia scare; fear of vaccine efficacy particularly of Sinovac Biontech's Coronavac; the national government's problematic communications plan and execution; and, the hesitancy of national government officials to be vaccinated in public thereby instilling more fear and distrust among the population. To help address the issues of hesitancy and distrust on vaccines, the Provincial Information Office of the Province of Northern Samar created a video with Dr. Rommel C. Francisco, the Provincial Health Officer explaining what the COVID-19 vaccine is all about and the order of prioritization for inoculation. The video is being circulated in social media and uses Waray, the mother tongue of the people of Northern Samar, so that even the ordinary people will understand. Watch the video below. Source: Northern Samar Provincial Information Off