FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. NEXU Science Communication/via REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Wednesday additional 633 cases of COVID-19 variants of concern and of the P.3 variant, including 339 cases of the highly contagious Delta variant.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, 633 new cases were detected from 748 sequenced samples in the latest genome sequencing run.
Also among the newly detected cases are 186 Beta variant cases, 98 Alpha variant cases, nine P.3 variant cases, and 1 Gamma variant case.
The new figures bring the total number of Delta variant cases to 3,366, Beta variant cases to 2,920, Alpha variant cases to 2,559, Gamma variant cases to three, and P.3 variant cases to 461.
The Delta, Beta, Alpha, and Gamma variants are all considered variants of concern, while the P.3 variant is tagged as an “alert for further monitoring.”
“Ang huling batch na ito ay kasama sa retrospective samples from the months of April to June 2021 para makatulong sa epidemiologic at phylogenetic analysis and mapping na ginagawa ng DOH with Philippine Genome Center (PGC),” Vergeire told an online media briefing.
(This latest batch is among the retrospective samples from April to June and was sequenced to help in the epidemiologic and phylogenetic analysis and mapping being conducted by the DOH with the PGC.)
Of the 633 variant cases, 609 are local cases and 17 are cases involving returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs). The DOH is still verifying if the seven other cases were detected locally or are from ROFs, according to Vergeire.
Regarding the status of the cases, Vergeire said 616 have already recovered, 10 have died, and five remain active cases. She added that the DOH is still verifying the status of the two other cases.
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