Philippines detects 4 cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7

MANILA, Philippines — Four cases of BF.7, a sublineage of the highly transmissible Omicron BA.5 subvariant, have been detected in the Philippines, the Department of Health said Friday.

In a statement, the DOH said cases of the BF.7 subvariant are being reported under BA.5.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control classifies BF.7 as a variant under monitoring.

According to the DOH, researchers initially flagged the variant due to its potential to be more transmissible than the wild type BA.5 and its immune evading properties.

“However, currently available evidence for BF.7 does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original Omicron variant,” the agency said.

The department reminded the public to continue wearing best-fitting masks, isolating when sick, getting vaccinated and boosted, and ensuring good airflow to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“If such factors will be adhered to and implemented by ourselves immediately, decline in cases may be observed sooner,” it said.

Data from the DOH’s latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report showed the detection of 121 new cases of Omicron subvariants and other sublineages.

The Philippines has recorded over 4 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Of the figure, 16,900 are active cases.