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The Department of Health (DoH) is monitoring three new variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) that could threaten the country.
The Undersecretary of Health, María Rosario Vergeire, said on Friday that the strains are those found in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Malaysia.
“All three variants are already being monitored as (the virus) reflects distinctive mutations in the peak region of the virus, as has been studied in affected countries,” Vergeire told reporters in a text message.
Strains from the UK and South Africa are said to be more transmissible, while it is still unknown whether the Malaysian strain, which was first found in Sabah, is more contagious.
Sulu, which is about a day and a half by boat from Sabah, is already under a harsh blockade as a deterrent against the Malay strain.
After performing gene sequencing on 305 local samples collected in November and December, the Genome Center of the Philippines reported that there is no indication that the UK and South African variants have crossed the country’s borders.
Recently, Hong Kong health officials reported that a Filipino maid who had arrived from the Philippines tested positive for the UK variant.
The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention said another variant of Covid-19 was found in Nigeria, which appears to be more contagious.
Vergeire said the Nigerian variant is not on the country’s surveillance radar, “but once the Philippine Genome Center detects unusual mutation patterns, which could be the variant in question, then it will be noticed and reported to us.”
Vergeire said the center will be allocated more funds to maintain its biosurveillance system and to obtain more samples, especially in Visayas and Mindanao.
The Philippines has banned travelers from 27 countries and regions where Covid variants have been detected.
The D614G variant, first detected in the country in June, remains the most dominant variant. It could “partially explain” the increase in cases in June last year, according to a recent joint investigation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the V. Luna Medical Center and the Research Institute of Medical Sciences of the Department of Defense of the Armed Forces from the United States.
D614G, which emerged in Europe in February last year, is also the world’s most dominant variant, replacing the Wuhan variant.
The Philippines reported 483,852 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, with 449,330 recoveries and 9,364 deaths.
The country continues to intensify the procurement of vaccines for the disease and some local governments have raised funds to ensure their own supply.
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., in charge of the implementation of the National Policy against Covid-19, said that a tripartite agreement is needed between national and local governments and vaccine manufacturers to guarantee a “coordinated, integrated and holistic ”.
Gálvez made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the government’s tripartite agreement with local government units (LGUs) and vaccine manufacturers.
“Several LGUs had already expressed their intention to partner with the national government to purchase vaccines using their own funds, including during the early stages of our negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. Since then, a growing number of LGUs from all over the country have approached us and have expressed the same intention, ”said Gálvez in a statement.
He said the initiative is similar to the agreement between the national government, the private sector and the pharmaceutical companies signed last November.
Gálvez said that the national government would also provide the resources to help the LGUs buy the vaccines.
The government plans to inoculate 24.7 million Filipinos during the first part of the vaccination program.
Some 1.76 million healthcare workers are first in line for Covid-19 vaccination.
The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is requesting more volunteers from the National Capital Region such as the World Health Organization (WHO) solidarity vaccine trial.
DoST Research and Development Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said Friday that only 1 in 4 respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) were willing to join the trial.
WHO needs 15,000 volunteers.
“The WHO Solidarity Vaccine Trial will be held here at NCR,” Guevara said in Filipino during a virtual press conference.
A survey by the UP-Octa research group indicates that only 25 percent of 600 respondents in Metro Manila want to receive a coronavirus vaccine, while 47 percent are still undecided and 28 percent refuse to be vaccinated.
The WHO initially requested 4,000 participants, but eventually expanded the target to 15,000.
Guevara said the trial will take place at the Philippine General Hospital and 11 other hospitals in Metro Manila.
He said the WHO has not indicated which vaccine will be used.
The DoST allocated P89.1 million for the project and requested P384.4 million more.
Guevara said the Solidarity Trial will be held at the barangay level.
With JOHN ERIC MENDOZA and CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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