ILOILO City – Forty-two local cases of various variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), were detected in Western Visayas through genome sequencing conducted by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
The results were released on July 28.
Of the local cases recorded, 15 samples were found having the Alpha variant; 23 had the Beta, and four with the Theta.
The Alpha variant was detected in Antique (seven), Iloilo City (four), Iloilo province (two), and one each from Capiz and Negros Occidental.
For the Beta variant, 16 were from Iloilo, two each from Iloilo City and Capiz, and one each from Aklan, Negros Occidental and Antique.
The P.3 variant, meanwhile, were detected in the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod and the provinces of Guimaras and Iloilo.
The Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant was initially detected in the United Kingdom while Beta (B.1.351) in South Africa in December 2020.
The Theta, on the other hand, was a new COVID-19 variant officially designated as Lineage “P.3” detected in the Philippines on March 2021. It has been classified recently by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant under “alert for further monitoring” because of its decreased and sporadic detection.
The Alpha and Beta variants, however, are classified as “variants of concerns” due to their increased transmissibility.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), they are working closely with local government units and their health offices to complete the case profile of the identified local cases.
Contact tracing will be conducted to include their first to third generation contacts as well as back tracking to determine the source of infections.
The current health status of the cases, including their vaccination status, is also being verified.
Between February and July this year, various accredited laboratories in Western Visayas sent a total of 488 samples to the PGC for genome sequencing.
Dr. Stephanie Abello, chief pathologist of the Western Visayas Medical Center Sub-National Laboratory (WVMC- SNL), said 346 of the total samples came from WVMC-SNL. At least 10 samples were sent in February; nine on March 12; 46 on April 23; 42 on June 10; 15 on July 2; 35 on July 6; 100 on July 23; and 89 on July 30./PN