31 Cebu COVID-19 samples show UK, Brazil, South Africa variant mutations

Thirty-one out of 50 COVID-19 samples from Cebu have shown the E484K and N501Y mutations, which are of global concern and present in variants from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa.

All 31 recovered cases in Central Visayas carrying these mutations exhibited mild symptoms or were asymptomatic and have been cleared from quarantine.

The DOH and PGC are heightening surveillance in the vicinity of these cases to look for possible correlations with their locations and communities.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that the detected mutations should not be a cause for alarm as the DOH is still studying them to determine if they can be classified as a variant.

Vergeire mentioned that the mutations will be submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine if they should be considered of public health importance.

The DOH7 advises against calling the mutations a 'PH variant' yet, instead referring to them as a 'variant or mutation of concern' since their exact origin and difference in transmission or intensity compared to foreign variants are still unknown.