PH Monitors 3 Covid Variants

January 8, 2021597 views0

The Philippine government is now monitoring three coronavirus variants. This was announced by the Department of Health (DOH) today, January 8, 2021 (Friday), in a virtual briefing.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the country is now monitoring 3 virus variants which are the following:

UK type variant
South Africa variant
Identified variant in Malaysia

“Sa ngayon, meron na tayong tatlong variant na binabantayan. Ito yung sa UK type na variant. Ito yung sa South Africa na variant and there was this identified variant din dito naman sa Malaysia.”

-DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire

Furthermore, Vergeire stated that the initial 300 plus samples for the UK variant which were tested by the Philippine Genome Center were just initial and added that it is a continuing surveillance system that they have established already.

“The initial 300 plus samples that were tested by the Philippine Genome Center were just initial. This is a continuing surveillance system that we have established already.”

-DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire

According to Vergeire, they have talked to the regional offices yesterday and they getting different samples from the different regions specifically in Mindanao and Visayas.

“…….we are getting samples from the different regions specifically in Mindanao, Visayas becuase we would like to see if in these areas meron din tayong makita at ma-i hold genome sequence natin baka sakali ay madetermine natin kung may variant tayo dito sa mga lugar na to.”

-DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire

Undersecretary Vergeire added that “this will be a continuing thing, this surveillance. We are appropriating funds to the Philippine genome center so that we can sustain this because this is important for our surveillance systems.”

Know more about the identified variant in the UK:

Jump to Article Content

New COVID Strain Identified in the UK

Watch the full virtual briefing, HERE.

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