Results from the genome sequencing of samples from Cebu sent to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) have discovered the presence of at least two mutations of SARS-CoV-2.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), announced on Thursday, February 18 in a virtual press conference, that they recently found ‘variants of concern’ or ‘variant under investigation’ from COVID-19 patients subjected by their bio-surveillance.
DOH-7 tagged these mutations as E484K and N501Y.
Loreche explained that the presence of two mutated viruses were discovered from at least 37 samples belonging to recent COVID-19 patients whom they earlier suspected to have the more infectious UK variant.
“These two mutations of concern are also of global concern. Not only for us in Central Visayas. Because apparently these are the mutations related to increased transmissibility,” she added.
However, Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-7 director, told media in the same press conference that these are still initial results of their ongoing bio-surveillance.
Bernadas said they still needed further surveillance, epidemiological investigations, and do an entire genomic sequencing to properly establish the nature of the mutated viruses and give them a more appropriate name. (ES)
