DOH: Person can test positive for 2 COVID-19 variants

On Wednesday, February 3, the Department of Health (DOH) stated that it is possible for a person to be infected with two variants of the coronavirus.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire cited discussions by the government taskforce on new COVID-19 variants, which suggested this scenario was plausible but required further study.

Vergeire made this statement following reports from Brazil where researchers discovered patients simultaneously infected with two different variants of COVID-19.

While no such cases have been detected in the Philippines, Vergeire noted that 17 individuals here have tested positive for the UK variant, which is more transmissible but not necessarily more severe.