The United Kingdom detected two new cases of COVID-19 variant first detected in the Philippines or what the Philippine health department first named a P.3.
The UK said it considers P.3 a “variant under investigation.”
“One of the cases is linked with international travel and the other is currently under investigation. All appropriate public health interventions are being undertaken,” the UK government said.
Japan was also among countries who first reported the variant discovered in the Philippines.
Early this month, the Philippine Genome Center said that the new COVID-19 variant discovered in the country could be more transmissible, but there is no evidence yet that it could cause severe COVID-19 symptoms.
The Department of Health on Saturday confirmed the P.3 variant, with a total of 98 cases so far detected.
“Sa palagay ko, masasabi natin it’s really a local variant kasi it’s really a local variant of origin. We have not seen that in the 600,000 deposits in the database. So, we believe that it developed locally,” PGC executive director Cynthia Saloma told ABS-CBN.
“Ang magandang nakikita natin sa lahat ng variants of concern, parang wala namang nakikitang increased pathogenicity. Parang hindi lumalala ‘yung symptoms, hindi siya nakamamatay kung hindi ka naman immunocompromised,” she added.
Pathogenicity refers to the degree of symptoms being experienced by people who contracted the virus.
“‘Pag sinabing pathogenicity, nagiging severe ang symptoms. Parang wala naman tayong nakikita, kahit sa tatlong variants of concern – P.1, B.1.1.7, and B.1.351. Wala naman din silang association sa pagiging mas malala ‘yung sintomas,” she said. (TDT)
