Pinoy, Nigerian travelers positive for new variant
TWO cases of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been detected in the Philippines, making the country the latest nation to have the more transmissible mutation of the deadly virus.
In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that the cases involved two incoming travelers — one a Returning Overseas Filipino (ROF) who arrived from Japan on December 1, and the other one a Nigerian national, who arrived from Nigeria on November 30.
The DOH said the two patients are now isolated in a facility managed by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
Samples of the two travelers were detected from 48 samples sequenced on December 14.
The Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, is said to be more contagious than the Delta variant of COVID-19 based on initial studies conducted by international scientists.
The DOH said the Filipino traveler arrived via Philippine Airlines flight number PR 0427. The patient’s sample was collected on December 5, with the positive result released on December 7.
“The case was admitted in an isolation facility on the same date. He is currently asymptomatic but had symptoms of colds and cough upon arrival,” said the DOH.
The Nigerian arrived on board Oman Air with flight number WY 843. A sample was collected on December 6, with the result released on December 7.
“He was then admitted to an isolation facility on the same date. His current status is also asymptomatic,” the health department said.
The DOH said they are now identifying the possible close contacts of the two passengers during their respective flights.
It appealed to passengers of the two flights to call the DOH COVID-19 Hotlines at (02) 8942 6843 or 1555, or their respective LGUs to report their status.
“The DOH is verifying the test results and health status of all passengers of these flights to determine if there are other confirmed cases or passengers, who became symptomatic after arrival,” said the DOH.
With the detection of the Omicron variant in the country, the DOH called appealed to the public anew to adhere to minimum public standards and properly wear face masks, frequently wash hands with soap and water or alcohol, observe physical distancing, ensure proper ventilation, and avoid crowded areas.
The DOH also urged those who are unvaccinated to get jabbed to receive additional protection that vaccines provide against COVID-19.
“Moreover, this holiday season, the public should avoid holding mass gatherings to curb the transmission of COVID-19,” said the DOH.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles assured the public that the government is closely monitoring the conditions of the two confirmed Omicron patients.
Nograles echoed the DOH’s statement that contact tracing is now being conducted to determine the health condition of the co-passengers of the two travelers.
“We assure our people that we will closely monitor developments of the two cases in light of existing protocols, as we continue to remind the public not to let their guard down, to religiously observe minimum public health standards, and call upon all those unvaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible,” he said.
Nograles said the early detection of the two patients form part of the government’s Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy that has been in place since the pandemic broke out last year.
OCTA PROJECTION
Now that the Omicron variant has been detected in the country, the independent OCTA Research yesterday said the National Capital Region (NCR) is projected to see almost 800 cases per day by next month, which would break the downtrend in COVID cases that the region has been seeing in recent weeks.
In a virtual townhall forum, OCTA fellow Guido David said they believe that cases may surge given the presence of the more transmissible variant.
“The projection is based on a possible increase of the reproduction number in the NCR, which is currently at around 0.37, to around 1.5,” said David.
“Assuming the Omicron starts spreading today, by the end of January, it will be at less than 800 cases per day with the reproduction number of 1.5,” he also said.
David said the projection can still be considered as mild when compared to the surges seen in other countries, where the Omicron variant has been detected.
“Is this catastrophic? No, this is not. In fact, it is relatively mild if we compare it with the other surges,” he said, attributing the “mild” scenario to the high vaccination coverage in Metro Manila.
“This is based on vaccinations, the level of vaccinations, as it will limit the increase in the reproduction number,” explained David.
Currently, the NCR has a reproduction rate of 0.37 and average cases daily of 83.
DELTA VARIANT
Aside from the two Omicron cases, the DOH said there were also 33 cases that were positive for the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant.
Of the additional 33 Delta variant cases, 14 were ROFs, while 19 are local cases.
The additional cases bring the total number of confirmed Delta variant cases in the country to 7,919.
The DOH said the remaining 13 samples had no lineage assigned as seen in the latest sequencing run. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
