Premature to say spike due to mutations – DOH
MANILA, Philippines — Current data are insufficient to conclude that undetermined coronavirus variants found in Cebu have significant public health implications, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said yesterday.
Duque said it is difficult to connect the two “variants of concern” to the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas.
“There are many factors to consider, like the region was placed under modified general community quarantine. There was an increase in mobility. The contact rate and transmission rate could have also increased,” he said.
Thirty-one swab samples from Central Visayas that were sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) yielded two “mutations of concern.”
PGC executive director Cynthia Saloma said the 31 cases with mutations “exhibited only mild symptoms” and all of them have been ”cleared.”
Saloma said they continue to investigate the mutations through enhanced genomic bio-surveillance of surrounding areas and other regions in the country.
The PGC received 70 samples from Central Visayas on Feb. 6, but only 59 met the criteria for whole genome sequencing.
“Of these samples, 31 or 62 percent were initially identified to contain two mutations of concern to the global community, the E484K and N501Y,” Saloma said, referring to the UK and South African variants.
She said the Philippines has been on guard for new COVID variants as instructed by the World Health Organization.
Department of Health-Central Visayas director James Bernadas said they met with concerned local government officials, who requested for two weeks to evaluate quarantine measures.
“We have started since January, but we have to intensify those efforts and campaign for minimum public health standards,” Bernadas said.
He stressed the need to increase the capacity to detect patients, test more people with symptoms, trace contacts of positive cases up to the third level and put up more quarantine facilities.
He said local chief executive were asked to concentrate efforts on individuals “in and around cases with mutations of concern.”