DoH curious on possible Phl variants
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday said the DoH is still determining if the two new mutations discovered in Cebu can be classified as new variants.
In a Laging Handa briefing, Vergeire added that the DoH will submit the two samples to the World Health Organization (WHO) who will make the final decision whether these can be considered as variants from the Philippines.
“Based on the Cebu samples that were processed, at least 31 out of the 50 that were assigned lineages and we discovered two mutations. These are the E484K and N501Y. We are currently monitoring these mutations as these mutations can also be seen in the variants that were discovered in other countries such as UK variant, South African variant and Brazilian variant,” Vergeire said.
She added that the DoH has yet to confirm whether the mutations can be classified as new variant.
“We have to understand that a virus normally mutates and for us to have a specific variant, they need to have five to seven variants, out of those mutations that we have seen from the sequence before we can finally say that this is a specific variant,” she explained.
She added that the DoH will submit its findings to the WHO.
WHO to classify
“It is up to the WHO whether to classify these and give us direction if these are really mutations of variants that are already existing globally,” according to Vergeire.
Vergeire assured that the public will be informed immediately with the WHO findings on the mutations in Cebu.
“The WHO provides us direction by doing further study on the sequence specimen or processed the results so that they can determine if the mutations we identified can be considered as of public health importance already,” she said.
At the same time, Vergeire assured that intensive contact tracing is now being done in Region 7.
“Officials in Region 7 are doing this intensive surveillance so that we can determine the extent in the spread of the virus. We are collecting samples so that we can process them at Philippine Genome Center so that we can be able to evaluate further,” she said.
Vergeire said that aside from isolation of individuals exposed to the variant, authorities were tasked to strengthen the security protocols in their borders.
“After one week, we are going to do another assessment so that we can be able to determine if we are able to control the spread. The increase in the number of cases in Cebu can be attributed to the new variant because we know that this variant has higher transmissibility,” she added.
The DoH will submit the two samples to the World Health Organization who will make the final decision whether these can be considered as variants from the Philippines.
She said that the implementation of modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in Cebu also contributed in the increase in the number of cases in the province.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said that it is possible that new variant is affecting Pasay City after the cases in the city doubled in just one week, from 23 daily cases to 44 cases per day.
“The probability is always there if there is a sudden increase in the Covid-19 cases in a particular area. A person who tested positive of the virus and was detected with the new variant, might be a factor in the increase in the cases,” she said.
Other factors
Vergeire, however, clarified that there are also other factors that are causing the spike in the Covid cases in Pasay City.
“We are also looking into the compliance in the health protocols and of course many are going out because we are easing restrictions,” she added.
Vergeire said that local government units should strengthen the compliance to the minimum health protocols amid the impending implementation of MGCQ in the entire country.
“No matter what risk classification or community quarantine level we have, the local government should have that capability to do localize response. So, even we shift to MGCQ, local governments should act fast. They should have a better surveillance system and they should be responding locally in case there is localized lockdown,” she said.