ILOILO City – Western Visayas’ five new infections of the coronavirus variant Omicron’s subvariant BA. 2.12.1 were all in this city.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), three were elderly returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) – two females age 65 and 66 years old, and a male aged 65.
Omicron is deemed to be the more transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The three cases were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. They arrived in Iloilo City from the United States on May 3 and lived in the same household in Jaro district.
On May 8 and 9, they developed influenza-like illness symptoms. Their reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results confirmed their being positive for COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Omicron subvariant BA. 2.12.1).
The trio completed home quarantine on May 18 and were subsequently declared as recovered cases, according to the Iloilo City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU).
Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed to Panay News that the three ROFs returned to the United States on May 19 prior the release of their specimens’ genome sequencing results on May 26 conforming their infection to have been caused by Omicron B2.12.1 Variant.
Meanwhile, the two other local cases were 43-year-old female who completed home quarantine and tagged as recovered already, and a 17-year-old female, also now deemed recovered.
Both lived in the same house in Jaro district.
DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and Health Promotions director Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho earlier said seven close contacts of the cases have been identified. Five of these seven were close contacts of the three ROFs.
All close contacts also completed their isolation/ home quarantine and tagged as recovered.
The DOH continuously reminds the public that getting vaccinated and adherence to the minimum public health standards are the best defenses against COVID-19 and any of its variants./PN