Omicron FE.1 may cause severe infection among highly vulnerable –Solante

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said Tuesday that the Omicron subvariant FE.1, which was recently detected in the Philippines, may cause severe forms of COVID-19 infections among those most vulnerable to the virus.

Solante, however, made it clear that there is no direct evidence yet to prove that the FE.1—a sublineage of the Omicron XBB subvariant—-can be more transmissible, more immune evasive, or cause severe infections as compared to other variants.

“It may not be totally different as those XBB, so most likely it can still cause severe infections but only for those who are highly vulnerable like the elderly population. Most of the symptoms are mild because ang kadalasang tinitirahan ng mga variants under Omicron [are usually seen] in the upper respiratory tract,” he said in a public briefing.

The first case of FE.1 or XBB.1.18.1.1 was found in the genome sequencing conducted on May 29 to June 12, 2023, based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report.

The DOH said FE.1 was added to the list of variants under monitoring (VUMs) by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on June 1, 2023, and was initially flagged “for its increasing global prevalence,” being detected in 35 countries so far.

Solante, who is also president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), said that the same clinical manifestations as those from the original Omicron variant may be experienced with FE.1, such as a cough, cold, sore throat, and body pain.

He also stressed that this should not be a cause for concern among Filipinos as the hospitals in the country are well managed.

“We should not panic because for almost two years now, maganda ang health care utilization rate natin, hindi naman nakaka-cause ng most severe infection. Pero ang pangamba ko rito are the vulnerable population, especially na ang immunity nila talagang bumababa four to six months after the vaccination or even after exposure of a COVID infection,” he explained.

(We should not panic because for almost two years now, our health care utilization rate is good, and does not cause the most severe infections. But my fear here is for the vulnerable population, especially since their immunity decreases four to six months after vaccination or even after exposure to COVID.)

Solante thus reminded the vulnerable population to keep wearing face masks and update their vaccination with booster shots to keep themselves protected against FE.1. — DVM, GMA Integrated News