Hand washing is important for the prevention of many infectious diseases. Even prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been advocating for the practice of hand washing with soap and water as a very simple and highly effective means to control the spread of infectious diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections among children. In the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) recommends regular hand washing with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds as one of the main protective measures against infection with the novel coronavirus.

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Our first Research Brief discussed the increased vulnerability of older Filipinos to COVID-19 because of their age and comorbidities. In this analysis, we move beyond health and mortality and assess older people’s economic vulnerability as a way of drawing attention to the conditions and needs of older Filipinos at this time. The analysis hopes to help guide the government in providing more informed interventions to ensure the well-being of the estimated 9.5 million older Filipinos during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

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*Updated on 28 March 2020

In this research brief, our analysis aims to put in context the latest official data on the continuing epidemic by comparing the characteristics of the known cases with the general population of the Philippines. In doing this, we answer such basic questions as, what are the ages most affected by this disease, which sex is more vulnerable?

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The Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Health (LSAHP) is the first multi-actor longitudinal study on aging in the Philippines implemented by the Demographic Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (DRDF). With comprehensive information coming from a nationally representative sample of Filipinos aged 60 years and over, their caregivers, and adult children, it is primarily designed to 1) investigate the health status and well-being, as well as their correlates, of older Filipinos; and 2) assess the determinants of health status and transitions in health status and overall well-being.