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MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila recorded the highest number of coronavirus variants among all regions of the country, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed on Friday.
So far, the DOH has recorded a total of 118 cases of variant B.1.1.7 in the UK, 58 cases of variant B.1.135 in South Africa and 85 cases of mutations with “possible clinical significance”.
According to DOH, Metro Manila has so far recorded a total of 29 cases of the UK variant and 45 cases of the South African variant.
A table provided by DOH shows the breakdown of variant and mutation cases by region.
Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has recorded 25 cases of the UK variant.
Northern Mindanao and Calabaron each recorded one case of the UK variant, while fifty-two Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF) also tested positive for the UK variant.
Nine other cases are being verified whether they are ROF or local cases, according to DOH. One case is a foreign citizen.
The DOH also said that two other ROFs were confirmed to have the South African variant, while 11 cases are being verified.
Meanwhile, Central Visayas has recorded 70 cases of the N501Y mutation related to increased transmissibility of the virus and E484K, which has a potential effect on the efficacy of the vaccine.
Metro Manila has seven cases of such mutations, while Western Visayas has three cases, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has two, and the Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao Region each have one case.
Another case of the mutations is being verified, the DOH said.
Active cases, recoveries, deaths
For the UK variant, the DOH said 39 cases are active, 77 are recoveries and two cases have resulted in deaths.
For the South African variant, 55 are active cases and three are recoveries.
For COVID-19 cases with mutations, 21 are active cases, 62 are recoveries, and the status of the remaining two is being verified.
DOH said in January that the UK variant “demonstrated increased transmissibility but [there is] there is no evidence that infectivity, pathogenicity or virulence has increased. “
Meanwhile, he added that the pattern of mutations for the South African variant “suggests greater transmissibility and may have an impact on the efficacy of the vaccine.” However, he noted that there is no evidence that the variant causes more serious conditions for COVID-19 patients.
On Friday, the DOH reported 3,045 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 587,704. New cases are the highest so far this year, as DOH only reports more than 1,000 new cases per day in previous months, rising to 2,000 in recent days.
Of the total count, 40,074 are active cases, while 535,207 are recoveries and 12,423 are patients who have died.
The health department recently said that the plateau of COVID-19 cases seen in February was “broken” by an increase in new cases. It specifically pointed to Metro Manila, Central Visayas and the Central African Republic for a continued increase in cases.
EDV
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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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