OCTA urges hospitals to increase capacity amid Delta variant threat

The OCTA Research group is urging hospitals to increase their capacities for COVID-19 patients due to concerns about the highly transmissible Delta variant.

OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye described the Delta variant as a potential "game changer" that could overwhelm the Philippine healthcare system.

Molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco warned that if the Delta variant spreads in communities, it would "significantly strain" hospitals.

The Delta variant is significantly more infectious than the Alpha variant, with one infected individual potentially spreading it to six to eight people.

Austriaco noted that hospitalization rates in the United Kingdom increased by 30 percent with the Delta variant, indicating a significant strain on healthcare systems.

If community transmission of the Delta variant occurs, Austriaco stated that contact tracing capacity would have to be severely enhanced.

As of June 24, 2021, 17 Delta variant cases had been detected in the Philippines, all involving returning overseas Filipinos.