By Pearl Gumapos
The stealth Omicorn variant or BA.2 is said to be detectable by RT-PCR tests available in the country, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said on Wednesday (Feb. 23).
“Sa detection, I would like to emphasize that even with our currently available tests, like the RT-PCR, can detect it. It is not a major problem in terms of detection,” Solante said during the Laging Handa public briefing
“Aside from being highly transmissible, itong BA.2, it [has the potential to cause] severe infection, especially the vulnerable population. That’s what we are trying to monitor and find out if the increase in cases in other countries is also associated with increase in health care utilization,” he said.
According to Solante, so far, the new variant hasn’t made any significant impacts on the country’s current vaccine platform.
“In fact, when given the booster, mas tataas ang proteksiyon natin. We need to encourage everyone, especially the vulnerable population, to get their booster,” he said. – bny
