WHO downgrades PH P.3 COVID variant to alert for monitoring

The World Health Organization (WHO) has downgraded the classification of the P.3 coronavirus variant, which was first detected in the Philippines, from a "variant of interest" to an "alert for further monitoring."

This downgrade, effective July 6, is due to a decrease in reported detections of the P.3 variant over time.

As of July 6, only 269 P.3 sequences from 14 countries were uploaded to a global database, with the majority originating from the Philippines' Central Visayas region.

The Philippines has reported a total of 166 cases of the P.3 variant, which was initially identified in February.

The P.3 variant, formerly known as "Theta," carries mutations associated with increased transmissibility and potential resistance to neutralizing antibodies.

Sporadic detections and small clusters of cases globally have led the WHO to reclassify it for further monitoring rather than as a variant of interest.