The Department of Health (DOH) is still waiting for the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the report of a hybrid COVID-19 variant detected in Vietnam.
Last weekend, the health minister of Vietnam said they have discovered a new COVID-19 variant that spreads quickly through the air. It is said to be a combination of the variants first found in India and the United Kingdom.
In a forum on Monday (May 31), DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said whatever variants are present in the Philippines, individuals complying with the minimum health protocols and individuals who have been vaccinated are protected against the virus.
“Kailangan natin tandaan, whatever variants that there may be dito sa ating bansa, kung tayo po ay strictly nagpapatupad ng health protocols natin at tayo ay nagpabakuna, tayo ay protektado. So alalahanin po natin ‘yan, ‘di po natin kailangan mag-panic dahil sa balitang ito,” she said.
According to the latest biosurveillance report of the Philippine Genome Center, over 240 COVID-19 cases carry variants that are mostly B.1.1.7 (UK) and B.1.351 (South Africa), wherein 104 are the UK variant cases and 137 are the South African variant cases.
The majority of these cases come from the Cordillera Autonomous Region and Region 9.
The department reiterated that the detection of variants is one of the factors for the increase in the number of cases in several provinces.
Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS-jlo
