Re-Opening of Classes, Philippine Setting: The State of Mental Health and Adaptation

Article The rapid transmission of COVID-19 throughout the world has had health, social, psychological, economic and, of course, educational consequences. In fact, school closure has been, on a global scale, one of the most widely used measures for helping to maintain social distancing and to decrease infections. This research is an opinion on how schools were opened in the Philippines and their impact on mental health and adaptation. This research is an opinion study that uses several lieteratures to corroborate opinions. I believe that what we are suffering now is just temporary, sooner we will be healed. Through our prayers, and the observance of health protocols, coupled with the support of the government, our country, the Philippines and Indonesia too, and the whole world will recover from this unpleasant and dreadful effect of pandemic. Our country Philippines is very hopeful that the word pandemic will be changed to endemic.

The rapid transmission of COVID-19 throughout the world has had health, social, psychological, economic and, of course, educational consequences. In fact, school closure has been, on a global scale, one of the most widely used measures for helping to maintain social distancing and to decrease infections [1,2].
The pandemic has not only affected the mental state of students. Teacher too have also accumulated a high level of stress since the beginning of the crisis. Adapting to online teaching using different modalities of delivering the subject matter , struggles due to poor connectivity and the use of technology are just few among their stressors Signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance as a consequence of the increased workload resulting from home teaching are very evident to teachers [3].
Among children, the shift to online classes and excessive use of gadgets and technologies has been associated with developmental delays and has resulted in sleep schedule disruptions. The situation is aggravated by the strict implementation of the confinement of children at home, restrictions on movement and rigid practices of health protocols, disruption of regular daily routine, and the decrease of social support from school peers [4].
Children living with preexisting mental health concerns, and living in cramped households and communities, faced worse circumstances, ultimately, all of these add burden to the mental well-being of the children resulting to fear and anxiety The pandemic itself has caused much worry, stress, and grief. These stressors can cause mental health challenges for anyone and can cause acute symptoms to appear in people who may experience preexisting mental health challenges. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), now PSA (Philippine Statistics Office) [4], mental health illnesses rank as the third most common form of morbidity among Filipinos.
In the assessment conducted on the Philippine mental health system, a prevalence of 16% of mental disorders among children was reported. With this alarming number of cases, I agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges to students, educators, and parents. Children already coping with mental health conditions since they started schooling

Method
This research is a subjective qualitative research based on the experience and expertise of the author, so the results shown are more of the author's perspective. This research is an opinion study that uses several lieteratures to corroborate opinions. This paper is expected to contribute to the handling of Covid-19, especially in schools.

A. Is it safe for children to go back to school?
Global data shows that schools are not main drivers of COVID-19 transmission [8].
Globally, children account for a very small proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases. They have milder cases or reported deaths [9]. Children of primary school age and younger appear to be less likely infected and less likely to pass on the infection to others [8]. In the Philippines, children and adolescents comprise a very small proportion (9%) of total reported cases [5].
Therefore, children and schools are unlikely to be the main drivers of COVID-19 transmission, when community transmission is low.
UNICEF is supporting the Department of Education and Department of Health in planning for the phased, voluntary and safe reopening of schools in pilot low-risk areas in the Philippines. Low-risk areas are municipalities with less than 1 COVID-19 case per 100,000 population and negative growth rate in the last 2 weeks [9]. To ensure the safety of children who will be attending in-person classes, all possible steps to mitigate virus transmission in school must be taken, including: Here are tips and advice that I hope will find useful.
• Keep informed. Listen to advice and recommendations from your national and local authorities. Follow trusted news channels, such as local and national TV and radio, and keep up-to-date with the latest news from @WHO on social media.
• Have a routine. Keep up with daily routines as far as possible, or make new ones.
• Minimize newsfeeds. Try to reduce how much you watch, read, or listen to news that makes you feel anxious or distressed. Seek the latest information at specific times of the day, once or twice a day if needed.
• Social contact is important. If your movements are restricted, keep in regular contact with people close to you by telephone and online channels.
• Avoid using alcohol and drugs as a way of dealing with fear, anxiety, boredom, and social isolation. There is no evidence of any protective effect of drinking alcohol for viral or other infections. The opposite is true as the harmful use of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of infections and worse treatment outcomes.
• Screen time. Be aware of how much time you spend in front of a screen every day. Make sure that you take regular breaks from on-screen activities.
• Video games. While video games can be a way to relax, it can be tempting to spend much more time on them than usual when at home for long periods. Be sure to keep the right balance with offline activities in your daily routine.
• Social media. Use your social media accounts to promote positive and hopeful stories.
Correct misinformation wherever you see it.
• Help others. If you can offer support to people in your community who may need it, such as helping them with food shopping.
• Support health workers. Take opportunities online or through your community to thank your country's healthcare workers and all those working to respond to COVID-

Conclusion
I believe that what we are suffering now is just temporary, sooner we will be healed.
Through our prayers, and the observance of health protocols, coupled with the support of the government, our country, the Philippines and Indonesia too, and the whole world will recover from this unpleasant and dreadful effect of pandemic. Our country Philippines is very hopeful that the word pandemic will be changed to endemic. As Caroline Wright said "You have to find a way to respect these new boundaries [related to coronavirus], but still live the version of life you're used to. That's what life is, regardless of circumstance."