Headline
PH detects case of Omicron BA.4 subvariant
MANILA – The Philippines has detected Omicron BA.4 subvariant from a Filipino who flew in from the Middle East last May 4.
In an advisory on Saturday, the Department of Health (DOH) said the positive test result for the subvariant was from a specimen collected on May 8. The male patient was asymptomatic.
Since the case was confirmed, the agency has been coordinating with concerned local government units to implement detection and isolation activities.
The DOH noted that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) sees Omicron BA.4 as a variant of concern.
“While the ECDC has not observed any change in severity for BA.4 compared to other Omicron subvariants, we must be careful because faster transmission will lead to a spike in cases that could overwhelm our hospitals and clinics,” it said.
The DOH said Omicron BA.4 spreads faster possibly because of its “ability to evade immune protection induced by prior infection and/or vaccination, particularly if this has waned over time.”
“All LGUs are strongly advised to proactively seek the unvaccinated and those eligible for boosters, and to make it convenient to get a jab,” the DOH said, as it also urged the public to receive their vaccine dose.
Mark Christian Dizon
May 22, 2022 at 2:53 AM
Let’s encourage everyone to get their booster shots, as its said here that the spread of these omicron variant is more faster than the the Covid19. Wag na po matigas ang ulo, Let’s get vaccinated, in the first place it’s for our sake and health.
Christopher Burac
May 22, 2022 at 8:26 PM
Another variant,another bad news. Well I hope,we,the filipino citizen have learned already from the past. Remember when the COVID was just starting? We didn’t take it seriously,we all thought that COVID was just a joke,and look how we all ended up,having pandemic for almost 3 years and counting. I hope the government will do their job which is to make sure that this new sub variant won’t be severe in our country,again. This only means that COVID is indeed not gone yet and we people shouldn’t neglect it. I know that some of us are too sick already of this COVID thing but all of these happened because of us and our negligence so we must all suffer the consequences
Vee-Jay Lee
May 23, 2022 at 2:35 AM
As long as this virus still mutate, we shall still be vigilant and always put face mask, always to sanitize and never in a crowded place, so that we could also help our frontiers from dealing the active patients.