MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 Omicron subvariant XBF is now in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) bared Wednesday afternoon.
The latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report issued by the DOH, which looks into whole genome sequencing results released on February 7 to 9, showed that the first XBF case has been recorded in the Philippines.
“As of current date, we have detected one case of XBF case in the country sequenced last 28 January 2023 with collection date in December 2022,” DOH said.
It noted that the XBF is a “recombinant sublineage of the BA.5.2.3 and CJ.1 (BA.2.75.3 sublineage) that was initially flagged for its increasing prevalence and has been associated with recent case increases in Australia and Sweden.”
A wastewater analysis in Australia showed that as of Friday, February 10, XBF accounted for at least 55 percent of the total cases recorded in the state of Victoria, according to the DOH.
An electron micrograph of the omicron coronavirus variant (Courtesy of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases)
“Preliminary studies also show that many of Australia’s antiviral treatments against COVID-19 were no longer effective against multiple Omicron subvariants circulating in the country, including XBF,” it added.
The health department said, however, that no available evidence has so far pointed to any difference in disease severity and clinical manifestations between XBF and the original omicron variant.
New XBB.1.5 cases
Two additional cases of the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant had also been reported by the DOH, bringing the totally tally to three.
The XBB.1.5–a recombinant of the BA.2.19.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages–was first detected in the Philippines last Tuesday, February 7.
READ: PH detects first XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant case
DOH reported 56 additional cases of omicron subvariants from the latest genome sequencing results, with the majority from XBB sublineages at 25, including the two new XBB.1.5 infections.
Five of the new Omicron cases in the country were recorded from incoming international travelers–two BA.2.75, two BA.5 and one XBB.
Meanwhile, returning overseas Filipinos accounted for two cases of BA.2.75, two of BA.5 and one of XBB.