The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday (Nov. 29) said the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, may or may not be possibly more transmissible than Delta.
According to Dr. Edsel Salvana, among the information known about the new variant, there is no early indication that it is deadlier or that the patients get sicker.
“There are indications that it may be a little more transmissible. There are also indications that it might not be as transmissible. We are waiting for more word on this,” Salvana said during the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 meeting with medical experts and President Rodrigo Duterte.
It may be less susceptible to vaccines in preventing infection but it will not be zero.
Vaccines will still significantly protect against the new variant.
“Sabi ng manufacturers, kung mababa yung efficacy, they can also tweak the vaccines,” Salvana said.
The Omicron variant has been labeled as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition, the recent findings on Omicron show that it is the most mutated virus with a spike in protein with over 30 different mutations that may affect vaccine efficacy and increase transmission.
Salvana said that antigen tests and most PCR tests in the country will work and that vaccines can be adjusted to deal with the variant’s mutations. – PG-rir
