First 14 cases of Omicron subvariant BQ.1 detected

Vergeire described the subvariant as ‘more transmissible’ and ‘highly immune evasive’ compared to other Omicron subvariants.

The Department of Health on Friday announced the detection of the first 14 cases of the “highly-immune evasive” Omicron subvariant BQ.1 in the country.

Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said a total of 14 cases of Omicron subvariant BQ.1 were detected in the latest whole genomic sequencing by the University of the Philippines — Philippine Genome Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

“First of all, we have detected many variants in the country including the BQ.1 and BQ.1.4,” Vergeire told reporters in a media briefing.

In the latest genome sequencing data with collection dates from 28 October to 18 November, the DoH said 13 of which were local cases from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions 1, 4-A, 7, and the National Capital Region.

The BQ.1 subvariant is a sublineage of the Omicron variant and is considered a variant of interest by the World Health Organization.

Vergeire described the subvariant as “more transmissible” and “highly immune evasive” compared to other Omicron subvariants.

Despite the detection of the BQ.1 subvariant in the country which is believed to be the driver of the new spike in the number of infections in the United States, Vergeire assured the public that vaccines remain effective against the subvariant.

She also underscored the importance of adhering to minimum public health standards to avoid contracting new strains of Covid-19.

“We should also be aware that whatever variants and subvariants that may be detected, our protocols to protect ourselves will remain the same: Minimum public health standards and getting vaccinated, especially against these variants,” Vergeire said.

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are now the most dominant Covid-19 variants in the country – accounting for nearly half of the cases in the last two weeks.