ILOILO – An Ilongga from Lebanon infected with a new, more transmissible variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has tested negative in her latest swab test.
The 64-year-old resident of Leon town returned to the country on Dec. 29, 2020 on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 8661.
That same day, she was found positive for COVID-19.
The Department of Health (DOH) had her specimen analyzed for genome sequencing as part of the agency’s intensified biosurveillance activities.
Friday last week DOH confirmed the Ilongga was among the 16 additional cases of the B117 SARS-CoV-2 virus variant first detected in the United Kingdom.
British experts earlier warned the UK variant could result in a 15-fold increase in infections in just a month if it becomes the dominant variant in the country.
According to provincial administrator Atty. Suzette Mamon, the Ilongga repatriate was initially isolated in San Juan City, Metro Manila and was discharged on Jan. 9.
She was allowed to go home the next day after her second swab turned out negative for the virus.
“Indi man sia maka-board sa plane kon positive sia sa COVID-19,” Mamon said.
From the airport, the Ilongga was fetched by an ambulance of the local government unit of Leon and was immediately placed under facility quarantine.
“Her movement was contained. She had no exposure. The protocols were followed,” Mamon said.
The Ilongga was again swabbed three days after her arrival in the town; the result was again negative for the viral disease.
Mayor Ma. Lina Holipas said since the woman tested negative, she was released from the town’s quarantine facility but was instructed to continue home quarantine to complete the mandatory 14 days.
Those 14 days in isolation would have ended yesterday but following reports linking her to the disease’s UK variant, the LGU decided to put her on another 14-day quarantine.
Holipas said there is no cause for panic as the proper protocols have been observed and followed.
“Gusto ko lang ipalab-ot sa mga pumoluyo sang bilog nga probinsya sang Iloilo kag diri sa banwa sang Leon nga wala kita sang dapat nga i-panic,” Holipas appealed.
The ROF was originally from Jaro, Iloilo City but is now a resident of Leon, which may have been the reason Mayor Jerry Treñas said the ROF, as far as he knew, was still in Metro Manila.
For her part, Dr. Jane Juanico, head of DOH 6’s infectious disease cluster, said the COVID-19 UK variant is “highly transmissible” yet there was no established information that it can increase the risk of an infected patient.
“For the general public, the minimum health standards should be observed each time we go out of our homes,” she said.
Juanico reiterated the wearing of facemask and face shield, hand washing, and exercising infection prevention and control in houses must be observed all the time.
The public should also avoid unnecessary gatherings, especially if there are attendees from countries with reported cases of the UK COVID-19 variant.
“We’re not discriminating but we need to ensure that their tests from Manila are negative and they should limit their activities here,” Juanico said./PN
