A new strain of SARS-CoV-2 that is more infectious has been detected in the Philippines.
According to the Philippine Genome Center, the mutation is more infectious and it affects the spike protein that the virus uses to enter the human cell.
“Data from an in vitro study suggest that viruses with the D614G mutation appear to have higher levels of viral RNA and higher titers of pseudo viruses. Together with the observation that G614 is now the dominant viral state, the authors claim that the said mutation can increase the viral rate of transmission. Although this information confirms the presence of G614 in the Philippines, we note that all the samples tested were from Quezon City and may not represent the mutational landscape for the whole country.”
The Department of Health (DOH) has stated that there is currently no strong evidence that the carriers of the G614 variant is more infectious than the D614. There is also no change in the clinical outcome of a patient with the mutation of the virus.
To prevent transmission, the health department reiterated the importance of complying with the minimum health standards. – Report from Mark Fetalco
