Philippines sees 411 more Delta variant cases
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Monday reported 411 more cases of the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 from samples collected as far as February this year.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the new infections accounted for 55% of the 747 samples collected up until last month.
The number of local cases and of returning Filipinos from overseas with the Delta were not immediately available.
But Vergeire added 88 cases of the Alpha or the variant first identified in the United Kingdom were also seen, as well as 78 cases of the Beta or that originally reported in South Africa.
This development pushed the Philippines' total count of Delta cases to 3,798, or 26.2% of the 14,517 samples tested in total.
Beta variant followed with 3,307 cases or 22.78%, while the number of Alpha variant cases stood at 2,935 or 20.22%.
"The increased proportion of these variants can be attributed to their increased transmissibility," Vergeire said in a briefing.
She added, however, that sampling methodology also affects the proportions as authorities remain prioritizing samples from target areas or populations.
Vergeire said these include those in areas with clustering of cases, severe to critical infections, as well as samples from areas with a sudden increase in cases and fully vaccinated individuals.
Local and global updates on COVID-19 cases, outbreaks and containment efforts due to the highly contagious Delta variant, first identified in India. (Main image: Lockdown in Sydney, Australia in June 2021 by AFP/Saeed Khan)
The Delta variant remains dominant and experts, governments and vaccine makers are urging people to take advantage of booster jabs where they are available.
Delta has proved able to evade vaccine defences against transmission better than the Alpha, Beta and Gamma COVID-19 variants.
But jabs have remained highly effective at preventing severe illness from Delta, lowering the risk of overwhelming hospital resources. — AFP
The DOH reports 520 new cases of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, bringing the total in the Philippines to 5,331.
The new COVID-19 Delta subvariant has not yet been detected in the Philippines, the Department of Health says.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says health authorities are monitoring 46 sublineages of the Delta variant, but “the particular Delta sublineage has not yet been detected among the COVID-19 positive samples sequenced in the country.”
Experts, however, are looking into the potential impact of the Delta AY.4.2. sublineage on transmissibility.
The Department of Health reports 633 additional cases of the Delta variant.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says the additional infections account for 84.63% of the 748 samples tested on October 16.
The DOH reports 411 more cases of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant in the country.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says the new Delta variant cases come from 747 samples collected from February to September.
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