Uptick in COVID-19 cases may be due to holiday gatherings, not Omicron — Octa

A woman takes. COVID-19 swab test at the UP-Philippine General Hospital, Manila (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON)

MANILA, Philippines — The recent uptick of COVID-19 cases in the country may be due to the holiday season and not the Omicron variant, the independent pandemic monitor Octa Research group said Monday.

Dr. Guido David, an Octa fellow, said the increase in cases is similar to that observed in the same period — the holiday season last year, therefore the uptick may be due to the increased social gatherings and not the feared Omicron variant.

“‘Pag ikukumpara natin sa nakaraang holiday season noong December 2020, nagkaroon din tayo ng holiday uptick so hindi natin masasabi ngayon na Omicron-driven ito dahil nakita rin naman natin ito last year,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing.

(If we’re going to compare it to the previous holiday season in December 2020, there was also a holiday uptick so we can’t say for now that this increase is Omicron-driven since we observed a similar pattern last year.)

“Siguro doon sa pagtitipon tipon ng mga kababayan din natin kaya kailangan doble pag-iingat lang naman din ang kinakailangan natin sa ngayon. Sa ngayon, hindi pa natin masasabi kung may factor ang Omicron, ang sinasabi lang natin na base sa nakaraan na taon ay may nakita rin naman tayo na holiday uptick.

(The increase may be due to the increased social gatherings of people during the holidays so we must be extra cautious. For now, we can’t say if Omicron has a role in the spike but based on what we observed last year, we also had a spike due to the holidays.)

David also said the current trend of cases may not yet reflect the true COVID-19 situation in the country since testing is lower due to the decreased operations of laboratories due to the holidays and the recent typhoon that whipped parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

The trend of cases, David said,  may be fully observed by January next year.  The government should reassess the situation should there he a be an increase in the number of cases, David said.

“Kung temporary uptick lang ‘yan dahil sa holidays, if bumaba ‘yan, walang cause for panic. Mawawala din siya,” he said.

(If that’s only a temporary uptick due to the holidays, if it goes down eventually, there’s no cause for panic. It will eventually ease.)

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