DOH monitoring 2 Omicron subvariants

DOH Director Alethea de Guzman. (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is closely monitoring two Omicron subvariants considered globally predominant and responsible for more than a third of total COVID-19 infections last year.

Director Alethea De Guzman of the DOH epidemiology bureau identified BA.2.75 and BQ.1.1 as the two Omicron sublineages whose transmission is relatively faster than other variants.

De Guzman said BA.2.75 accounted for 17.4 percent of COVID-19 cases globally, while BQ.1.1 was tagged for 13.99 percent of infections.

—KATHLEEN DE VILLA

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