14 kaso ng Omicron BQ.1, na-detect sa bansa – DOH

ni Lolet Abania | November 25, 2022

Nakapagtala ang Department of Health (DOH) ng mga kaso ng Omicron BQ.1, isang sublineage ng mas nakahahawang BA.5 subvariant, mula sa naging resulta ng genome sequencing.

Ayon sa DOH, 14 cases ng BQ.1 ang na-detect base sa latest genome sequencing ng UP-Philippine Genome Center, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, at San Lazaro Hospital mula Oktubre 28 hanggang Nobyembre 18.

Anang ahensiya, sa 14 kaso, 13 ang local cases mula sa Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Regions 1, 4A, 7, at National Capital Region (NCR).

Hindi naman makumpirma pa ng DOH kung ang natitirang kaso ng Omicron BQ.1 ay isang returning overseas Filipino (ROF).

Sa press briefing ngayong Biyernes, sinabi ni DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire na kumpara sa ibang Omicron subvariants aniya, “[BQ.1 is] more transmissible and highly immune evasive.”

“What we know so far from this BQ.1, it is more transmissible and also highly immune evasive compared to the other subvariants of Omicron,” pahayag ni Vergeire.

“Pero we have always reiterated to everybody that it is time for us that our mindset would be that yes, we are aware that there are these variant and subvariant being detected in the country but we should also be aware whatever variants and subvariants may be detected, our protocols for us to get direction and also to protect our families are all the same,” paliwanag pa ng opisyal.

Paalala ni Vergeire sa publiko na sumunod pa rin sa minimum public health protocols at magpabakuna laban sa COVID-19 variants at subvariants.

“All these subvariants being published or na-detect natin through our sequencing results pareho pa rin ang ating protection na kailangan, it should always be our minimum public health standards pati na rin po ang pagbabakuna tayo,” giit ni Vergeire.

“We continuously remind our public that is why, that is also the reason we are not so much not welling on informing and disseminating this kind of information though in the spirit of transparency also we posted in our website,” saad pa niya.

“But that’s should not be the focus of our citizens now, the focus should be how we get ourselves protected and that is vaccination and following our minimum public health standards,” sabi ni Vergeire.