ABS-CBN
Expert doesn't rule out presence of new COVID-19 variant in PH
A health expert is not ruling out the possibility of the presence of a new, more transmissible COVID-19 variant in the Philippines.
Dr. Edsel Salvaña of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) technical working group on new coronavirus variants stated that while the variant has not been detected, it should not be assumed that it is not here.
He urged the public to remain vigilant, noting that even the original virus can cause spikes.
This statement comes despite the Department of Health's (DOH) announcement that the new variant has not been detected in the country, based on gene sequencing results from over 300 samples of COVID-19-positive travelers.
Dr. Salvaña clarified that not detecting the variant does not mean it is cleared, as not every positive individual can be tested.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
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 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has established a technical working group (TWG) composed of experts to monitor and identify new coronavirus variants in the Philippines.
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The Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring three COVID-19 virus variants, including the variant identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Malaysia.
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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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