Genome sequencing results for close contacts of OFW with COVID variant out this week

MANILA, Philippines — The results of the genome sequencing of the samples taken from the close contacts of the Filipino female domestic helper in Hong Kong who got infected with the UK variant of COVID-19 will be released this week, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, who also heads a panel tasked to monitor new COVID-19 variants, all the close contacts of the domestic worker in her hometown and in Manila have been traced, tested and isolated. The whole-genome sequencing results may be released either by Wednesday or Thursday, she added.

“All of these close contracts that are identified are now in quarantine. Nakakuha na din po tayo sa kanila ng [We also obtained] specimens for RT-PCR at the same time for the whole-genome sequencing,” Vergeire said.

“So prinoproseso na po ngayon ang kanilang mga samples at maaring bukas o sa Huwebes ay lumabas na po ang resulta nito,” she added.

(These samples are now being processed and the results could be out tomorrow or by Thursday.)

The UK variant, believed to be up to 70% more infectious than the original variant of COVID-19, has yet to be detected in the country, or at least in the latest batch of samples from patients processed by the Philippine Genome Center.

Hong Kong recently announced that a passenger from Manila tested positive for the UK variant. But it remains unknown where the said OFW got infected with the UK variant of COVID-19.

JPV