The Philippines’ Department of Health announced Tuesday that three more cases of the COVID-19 omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant have been discovered, bringing the total to 17.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, two local cases and one returning Filipino with the subvariant were discovered in Western Visayas.
The returning Filipino has been fully vaccinated, as has one of the local instances, and the status of the remaining patient is currently being checked, according to Vergeire.
She noted that the DOH is checking to see if the newly discovered cases have completed their quarantine.
The first 14 cases of the highly transmissible subvariant in the country were split into two groups: two local cases in Metro Manila and twelve in Puerto Princesa, with 11 foreign passengers and one local resident.
According to Vergeire, the country has 16 cases of local transmission and one case of a returning abroad Filipino. According to the DOH, local transmission is defined as instances “that cannot be epidemiologically linked to individuals with significant foreign travel history.”
“‘Di pa ho ito community transmission kung saan malawakan na ang pagkalat at ‘di ma-trace ang lineages ng kaso,” Vergeire said.
3 cases of omicron BA.2.12.1 detected in Western Visayas
BA.2.12.1, a BA.2 sublineage, has been found in 23 nations. In the United States, it accounts for the bulk of COVID-19 instances. Therefore, it is currently neither a source of interest nor concern.
“While this sublineage has not been observed to lead to more severe disease or fatality, it has the potential for immune escape,” the DOH said in a statement.
To avoid a potential rise in cases, DOH said it works with local governments to improve case detection and isolation while also strengthening health system capacity.
“Testing using RT-PCR is strongly advised during active surveillance as the method also allows for genomic sequencing. Large clusters should be prioritized for investigation, and contact tracing for cases belonging to these clusters should be conducted,” Vergeire said.
According to the DOH, special vaccination teams will be dispatched to locations where the subvariant has been found. Vergeire recommended the population follow minimal health standards and get vaccinated and boosted to prevent further transmission of the subvariant.
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