More cases of Covid variants detected
THIRTY new cases of the B117, or the so-called United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), have been detected in the country, ALONGSIDE THE fiRST SIX CASES OF THE B1351 or the South African variant, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.
It also reported two cases of mutations of interest. The new cases were part of the eighth batch of
350 samples sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center in the past week.
The B1351 variant, which is said to have a higher transmissibility and has a potential impact on vaccine efficacy, was detected in three local cases in Pasay City, two returning overseas
Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and one unverified person.
Two of the Pasay cases are active and are being managed by the city, while the third, a 40-year-old male, has recovered.
Separately, 30 new cases of the UK variant were reported — 20 returning Filipinos from the Middle East, Singapore and the United States; three local cases from the Cordillera Administrative Region and seven others.
This puts the total number of B117 cases at 87.
Two samples from the Central Visayas region have also been detected with mutations of interest, the N501Y and the E484K mutations that are also attributed with higher infection rates.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is yet no evidence of community transmission of these variants.
A special genomic surveillance run will be done by the PGC to include samples from the National Capital Region and Cebu, which are experiencing an increase in the number of cases, to determine if these variants have spread further.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said the decision to loosen travel protocols factored in the variants and mutations.
“Everything is being considered, pero kailangan natin maintindihan na hindi lang lockdown or closing of the borders ang pwede nating maisagawa para limitahan ang mga (but you have to understand that lockdowns or border closures are not the only things that we can do to control the) variants,” the Health official said.