Epidemiologist floats possibility of a Philippine COVID-19 variant

There is a likelihood that the Philippines can have its own COVID-19 variant if cases continue to rise, an infectious disease expert said Saturday.

“We also have the potential to have a Philippine variant if we do not cooperate to bring down the number of cases in the country,” University of the Philippines (UP) Institute of Clinical Epidemiology Director Dr. Marissa Alejandria said in a virtual press briefing.

Alejandria, a member of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 variants, emphasized that it was important to level off the number of new COVID-19 cases as this would make it less likely for the coronavirus to mutate.

“Gusto ko lang po sabihin na may possibility na magkakaroon din ng Philippine variant. Pero ‘yung possibility na ‘yun ay mangyayari lang if the cases are many kasi ang virus, kailangan niya ng host para siya mag-mutate,” the epidemiologist explained.

“So it is very, very important for us na talagang ibaba natin yung ating mga cases dito sa Pilipinas.”

The health expert made the remark on the heels of the DOH’s announcement that there were now 17 seventeen cases of the UK variant of COVID-19 in the Philippines after the first who arrived from the United Arab Emirates earlier in January.

Of the additional 16 cases, three had recovered while 13 were still active. Of the 13 active cases, three were asymptomatic while the remaining 10 had mild symptoms.

The B.1.1.7 variant of the novel coronavirus, first detected in the United Kingdom, was found to be more infectious but did not make the disease more severe.

“Now, itong UK variant actually is already a mutation of the D614G kasi it already contains the D614G and on top of that, mayroon pa siyang iba-ibang mutations,” Alejandria said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the new COVID-19 variant may be associated with a higher level of mortality although he said evidence showed that both vaccines being used in the UK were effective against it.

However, Dr. Edsel Salvana, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the UP National Institutes of Health and also part of the DOH’s technical advisory group, said that data on the B.1.1.7 variant was still “very preliminary.”

“The virus naturally mutates, it is part of its institution, pero para ma-control natin yung continuance, emergence ng mga dangerous or high samples of concern, it is imperative na mababa yung ating cases dito para walnag host kung saan pwede mag-mutate yung virus,” Alejandria said. — DVM, GMA News