DOH: UK variant patient from Cebu now in isolation in QC

MANILA, Philippines — The 35-year-old man from Liloan, Cebu who tested positive for the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, has already been located, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

Dr. Alethea de Guzman, medical specialist at the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, said in an online media forum that the case is “ongoing isolation in QC (Quezon City) after testing positive on PCR (polymerase chain reaction test).”

The patient was already interviewed for contact tracing efforts, according to de Guzman.

She said case investigation, contact tracing, and back tracking of his exposure and travel history are being conducted.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the DOH has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to track down the patient and to confirm if he had indeed left the country.

DOH-Central Visayas earlier clarified that the home address of the patient is Liloan but he had stayed in Parañaque City since November last year until he went through a swab test in January as a requirement for a job abroad. The regional office of the health agency also said he has not been able to return to his hometown.

The case from Liloan is among the 25 confirmed cases of the more transmissible B117 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country so far.

According to de Guzman, the number of patients who have recovered from Covid-19 among the 25 remains at 22, while one has died and two are still active cases.

EDV