ILOILO City – This southern city and the province of Iloilo recorded their first cases of the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, can spread more easily. The strain has mutations on the spike protein that make it easier to infect human cells.
ILOILO CITY
Citing the genome sequencing results released by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) yesterday, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported that the first Delta case in Iloilo City was a 30-year-old male resident of Mandurriao district and an employee of a company in Molo district.
After experiencing influenza-like illness, the man underwent swabbing at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) on July 8. The man tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.
His specimen was sent to the PGC on July 13.
Repeat swab test was done July 23; he was still positive for COVID-19.
The Delta variant was identified in India in December 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified it as a “variant of concern,” a term used when a virus is more transmissible, causes more severe disease or involves other complications.
No travel history and no close contact in his workplace. This was what the Mandurriao case claimed.
Meanwhile, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas, the patient’s wife, who was swabbed on July 12, also tested positive for COVID-19.
The wife’s sample will also be sent to PGC for sequencing, the mayor said.
The couple is currently on strict home quarantine.
Their three minor children tested negative and are currently staying with relatives. However, Treñas added, the children will be swabbed again.
Treñas, through Executive Order No. 67, locked down the residence and workplace of the man.
For the residence, the lockdown will be for 120 hours effective immediately until Aug. 3 unless a longer period is required to conduct the disinfection, mandatory random testing, and other local health interventions of the city government.
For the for business establishment or workplace, the lockdown was also effective immediately until Aug. 3 unless a longer period is required.
Extensive contact tracing and swabbing for the patient’s co-workers will also be conducted.
Treñas said the city will do its best to contain the spread of the Delta variant.
“As this is a Delta variant case, we will transfer the case to a separate quarantine facility so we can fully monitor him,” Treñas said.
“We ask for everyone’s cooperation. We are doing everything we can to contain its possible spread, including aggressive contact tracing and intensified testing,” the city mayor added.
ILOILO PROVINCE
On the other hand, the province’s first case of the Delta variant was a 32-year-old female resident of Cabatuan town. Around 2 a.m. yesterday, she died due to kidney failure while being treated at WVMC.
According to Dr. Ma. Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, acting head of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), the patient was admitted to WVMC on June 27 after having difficulty breathing caused by renal failure and hypertension. Prior to hospitalization, the patient was subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. She tested negative for COVID-19.
On July 8, a patient at the ward where the female was admitted tested positive for COVID-19. Thus she was tagged a close contact and swabbed again; she tested positive.
The female’s specimen was sent to the Philippine Genome Center in Manila on the same day (July 8).
On July 23 (two weeks after), the female underwent another RT-PCR test. She yielded a negative result and was discharged on July 26.
The following day, the female was re-admitted due to difficulty of breathing. She was swabbed anew but tested negative for COVID-19.
The female died yesterday some hours before the PHO received the result that she was found carrier of the Delta variant.
Health authorities have thus advised the family to immediately cremate the patient.
The PHO also requested the local government unit of Cabatuan (headed by Mayor Ronilo Caspe) to subject the female’s mother and two siblings to RT-PCR testing.
Contact tracing was likewise ongoing at WVMC particularly in the ward where the female was admitted.
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Quiñon said she could not discount the possibility that the source of infection could be from the WVMC.
“Daw amo ‘na sa paglantaw naton, kay antes sia nagsulod negative sia (for COVID-19). Ngaa gin-re-swab? Kay tungod may nag-positive nga upod ‘ya sa ward,” said Quiñon.
Also, the DOH has yet to confirm if the specimen of the patient (who earlier tested positive at the Cabatuan local’s ward) and others who had been tagged as close contacts were included to the samples sent to the PGC for genome sequencing.
Quiñon reminded the public to continue observing minimum health standards.
“Indi kita gihapon kabalo kon sin-o sa tupad ta (COVID-positive) kay iban asymptomatic. Ang lain pa kay indi ta mabal-an kon ano nga variant. So, sa gihapon ang maka-prevent sa transmission amo ang 3Ms (Magmaskara, Manghugas kag Magdistansya),” added Quiñon.
For his part, Caspe said the public should not be alarmed.
“Wala dapat sang i-alarm sa Cabatuan kay wala sang naka-direct contact sa patient and fully recovered na sia sang ginpagwa sia sa hospital,” Caspe said.
BAROTAC NUEVO ROF
A returning overseas Filipino (ROF) – 46-year-old male – from Barotac Nuevo town was also confirmed to be a carrier of the Delta variant yesterday.
However, Quiñon clarified that he is being quarantined in Metro Manila.
Quiñon said the male tested positive for COVID-19 in Spain so he was sent back to the country on July 10.
“Gin-check sang Bureau of Quarantine ang iya nabatyagan… daw nadulaan sang sense of taste but he’s apparently well,” added Quiñon.
ANTIQUE
On the other hand, DOH-6 yesterday confirmed that a 59-year-old female from Antique was found carrier of the Delta variant.
“(She was) from the area where the two previous Delta cases were established,” the DOH said in a statement.
The female was admitted to WVMC on July 8. Swab sample was taken on the same day. She tested positive for COVID-19.
A repeat swab test was done on July 19, yielding a negative result.
She was discharged the following day.
The female is currently under home quarantine.
To note, an elderly couple in Pandan was found having the Delta variant in July 16. The husband recovered but the wife died due to hypoximia secondary to pneumonia and the underlying cause of death was COVID-19 infection.
Western Visayas’ total recorded cases of the Delta variant stood at six./PN