A THOMASIAN doctor became viral after a blog post titled “Pandemonium” drew public attention for data-driven but easy-to-grasp analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Benjamin Co, an alumnus of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, said he wanted to lay down facts to help clear confusion over the highly contagious disease.
“I started it because I wanted some of my followers to know about Covid-19 and how it would impact on the world in general as a pandemonium,” Co told the Varsitarian. “I did not realize that the title ‘pandemonium’ is what it is now.”
Co’s blog provides a daily rundown of Covid-19 cases in the country to inform the public about the pandemic. It has been picked up by mainstream news sites like ANCX.
On June 5, Co brought some good news to his readers, writing that at the global level, the Covid-19 recovery rate had gone up.
“The global statistics has officially crossed the 6.5M mark. With recoveries crossing the 3M mark. Of the more than 6.5M cases, more than half (3,657,527) cases have already had an outcome. 89% have recovered while 11% died. Only 45.6% (3,062,788) of the cases remain active,” he wrote.
“These are good numbers because they indicate that while the number of cases continue to increase (mainly driven by more testing), majority of them already had an outcome and the fatality rate is generally lower now. With the revision on the criteria for recoveries now being implemented in several countries, the global recovery rates have dramatically gone up,” he added.
Co told the Varsitarian that explaining with clarity something that is difficult to understand — without having to sound alarmist — is a good way to communicate with people.
“Once they understand what is happening and what the data tells us, they will rely on you for information,” he said.
Aside from his medical practice, Co is a researcher and has served as editor for various journals and textbooks. He has authored 45 original research papers published locally and internationally.
“I am honored that [people] follow me for the analysis I provide regarding the current Covid-19 pandemic,” Co said. “Perhaps it’s because they understand what the [data] means.”
After gaining his bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Co pursued his medical studies in the University. He studied in the United States in 1990 through a scholarship grant from the UST Medical Alumni Association.
Co was also a campus journalist. He was part of the Varsitarian editorial board in 1983. Caitlin Dayne A. Contreras
