The Department of Health said that the country has no detected cases of the new Delta subvariant.
DOH Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said that their biosurveillance activities has been closely monitoring 46 sublineages of the Delta variant, and has so far not detected the AY.4.2 sublineage.
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The AY.4.2 is feared to be more contagious than the original Delta variant.
“As of this moment, experts are still studying the potential impact of the Delta sublineage on the transmissibility and severity of COVID-19. The particular Delta sublineage has not yet been detected among the COVID-19 positive samples sequenced in the country,” Vergeire said in a statement.
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The DOH however cautioned the public to adhere to minimum health protocols.
“Our proper adherence to the minimum public health standards is still our best protection and is the best way to curb the transmission, prevent the spread of the variants and slow down the appearance of mutations,” she said. (TDT)