The Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Genome Center did not detect the presence of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant in the latest samples sequenced by the government.
The DOH said in a statement: “38 of the samples are Delta variant cases while the rest either had lineages from variants that are not of concern or had no lineages detected.”
The total number of detected Delta cases in the country is now at 7,886.
The latest sequencing run covered some of returning overseas Filipinos who came from areas considered to be at high risk from COVID-19 and with case clusters.
Of the 38 Delta variant cases, 31 are local cases while seven were ROFs.
The two returning Filipinos had travel history from Turkey and one each traveled from Jordan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, and Peru.
“Based on the case line list, one local case is still active, 27 local and all seven ROF cases have been tagged as recovered, and three local cases are currently being verified as to their outcomes. All other details are being validated by the regional and local health offices,” the DOH said in the statement.
Despite not detecting the highly contagious variant, the DOH reminds the public to continue complying with minimum health standards.
“Everyone should continue to properly wear a face mask, wash their hands often, observe physical distancing, and ensure proper ventilation. Moreover, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 helps prevent severe disease and death,” the DOH said.
Preliminary data show that the new Omicron COVID-19 variant could be spread faster than other variants and has a higher chance of reinfection but its effect is milder compared to the Delta variant.
“Emerging data from South Africa suggests increased risk of reinfection with Omicron,” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing.
“There is also some evidence that Omicron causes milder disease than Delta,” he added.
