Manila Bulletin
DOH monitors UK, South Africa, Malaysia COVID-19 virus variants
The Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring three COVID-19 virus variants, including the variant identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Malaysia.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that the UK and South African variants were not detected in the initial 305 samples analyzed by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
She explained that the PGC is continuously conducting genome sequencing as part of an established surveillance system to detect any circulating variants in the Philippines.
The DOH has requested samples from its regional units in Mindanao and Visayas for further genome sequencing.
Vergeire mentioned that the PGC monitors the entire genome of local samples for unusual mutation patterns.
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The Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) have announced that the UK variant of COVID-19 has not yet been detected in the Philippines.
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The Department of Health (DoH) and Philippine Genome Center (PGC) confirmed the presence of the UK coronavirus variant (B.1.1.7) in the Philippines.
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A health expert is not ruling out the possibility of the presence of a new, more transmissible COVID-19 variant in the Philippines.
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The Department of Health (DoH) confirmed on January 2, 2021, that the new COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom has not yet been found in the Philippines.
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A 30-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Cagayan Valley, who works as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant.
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