Brazilian COVID-19 variant nasa ‘Pinas na

ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | March 13, 2021

Kinumpirma ng Department of Health (DOH) ang unang kaso ng P.1 Brazilian COVID-19 variant sa Pilipinas ngayong Sabado.

Ayon sa DOH, na-detect ang naturang variant sa isang returning overseas Filipino (ROF) mula sa Brazil.

Naitala rin ng DOH ang 59 bagong kaso ng UK COVID-19 variant at 32 karagdagang kaso ng South Africa variant.

Pahayag ng DOH, “These additional cases were among the tenth batch of 752 samples sequenced by the UP-PGC (University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center), with the majority of samples coming from NCR (National Capital Region), CALABARZON, and CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region).”

Ang P.1 variant ay unang na-detect sa Japan ng National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) sa mga travelers mula sa Brazil.

Saad ng DOH, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is evidence to suggest that transmissibility and the ability of antibodies generated through previous infection is affected by some mutations of this variant.”

Sa UK variant, ayon sa DOH, sa karagdagang 59 B.1.1.7 variant cases, 30 ang local cases, 18 ang mula sa ROFs at 11 ang tinutukoy pa kung local o ROF.

Saad ng DOH, “This brings the total number of B.1.1.7 cases in the country to 177.

“Sixteen of the local cases are from the Cordillera Administrative Region, 10 are from the National Capital Region, two are from Central Luzon, and 2 are from CALABARZON.”

Sa 32 bagong kaso naman ng B.1.351 South Africa variant, 21 ang local cases, isa ang ROF, at 10 ang tinutukoy pa kung local o ROF.