Philippines detects 3 more cases of Arcturus; total now 4

The Department of Health (DOH) reported three more cases of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 or Arcturus in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to four.

Based on the DOH’s latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report from April 26 to May 6, the three reported cases of Arcturus were recorded in Region 6.

The DOH earlier said the first recorded Arcturus —a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)— case was from Iloilo province and was asymptomatic.

“[T]he Arcturus variant, or XBB.1.16, is a sublineage of the Omicron, which has the ability to evade immunity and is said to be more transmissible,” the DOH earlier said.

The Health Department, citing the WHO’s risk assessment on April 17, said that no changes in severity have been reported in countries where the sublineage is said to be circulating.

Local transmission

n a separate statement, the DOH said there is a “highly likely” local transmission of Arcturus “since there is an increasing number of cases of the variant with no linkages to international cases or no known history of exposure.”

“With that, the DOH reiterates that COVID-19 is here to stay and we must continue to learn and live with the virus. Hence, certain measures and protocols must be in place to help mitigate virus transmission and mutation,” it said.

“However, the department reminds the public that the symptoms of the said subvariant remains to be mild. In general, COVID-19 exhibits flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, headache, body pain, diarrhea – among others,” it added.

The Health Department also urged the public to continue wearing face masks, isolating when manifesting symptoms, and ensuring good airflow to remain protected against the virus.

It also encouraged the public to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19

Out of the recent 207 samples sequenced last April 26 to May 6, at least 159 were classified as XBB including 72 XBB.1.9.1 cases, 35 XBB.1.5 cases, 13 XBB.1.9.2 cases, and three XBB.1.16 cases.

The DOH said it also recorded at least 27 cases of BA.2.3.20, one case of BA.5, 13 cases tagged as other Omicron sublineages, and one case of other SARS-CoV-2 lineages.

Of the recently detected XBB cases, the DOH said two were Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF) while 157 were local cases from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region (NCR).

It added that an additional BA.5 case was a local case from NCR, and additional BA.2.3.20 cases detected were from Regions 1, 2, 4A, 6, 7, 11, Caraga, and NCR. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News