First case of Delta variant detected in Caraga
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Caraga (CHD Caraga) has confirmed that a 26-year old woman who traveled to the National Capital Region was the first case of Delta variant in the province.
Dr. Cesar C. Cassion, chief of CHD Caraga, made the statement after the University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) released the whole genome sequencing (WGS) results of the specimen taken from the patient.
The patient was unvaccinated and had traveled to NCR on July 10 and decided to return to Caraga. Prior to her return trip, she underwent the mandatory real time Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test on August 2 and tested positive.
She has been asymptomatic and has been placed under quarantine. Her repeat RT-PCR test already yielded negative results; and so did those of her first-generation close contacts, who were also quarantined and swabbed.
On August 16, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual media briefing that all regions in the country already had Delta variant cases except Caraga, since the three Delta variant cases detected from returning overseas Filipinos earlier reported to be from Caraga were not local cases.
CHD-Caraga has been closely working with the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu) to actively find, detect and isolate COVID-19 cases to contain the spread of the infection.
“With the inevitable threat of the Delta variant and other Variants of Concern, we are escalating our efforts to speed up the vaccination program especially to our most vulnerable population,” Cassion said.
“We are not defenseless against the virus,” he added. “In fact, we know what to do and we must be prepared. Let us keep the Filipino Bayanihan spirit alive by working together to defeat this invisible enemy,”Cassion said.
Netizens, however, were ranting because CHD Caraga withheld the location of the Delta variant case.
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