Omicron impression. INQUIRER.net stock photo
MANILA, Philippines — The first case of COVID-19’s Omicron XBF in the country was a Filipino older person who did not travel.
The Department of Health (DOH) revealed this Thursday after its detection was announced the day before following the latest biosurveillance report of the agency.
READ: PH detects first case of COVID-19 Omicron subvariant XBF
“The first case detected here in the Philippines is from a Filipino senior citizen with no known history of travel, the individual presented mild symptoms, and has already been tagged as recovered,” the DOH said in a statement sent to reporters via Viber.
The agency said the XBF is a type of Omicron BA.5 and BA2.75 that has made more people sick in Australia and Sweden. The World Health Organization is monitoring it closely.
“However, the local sample was detected at a time when the variant was not yet classified as a VUM (variant under monitoring),” the DOH explained.
“Further, global experts are still characterizing the variant in terms of transmissibility, immune evasion, and ability to cause more severe disease,” it added.
The DOH wants everyone to stay safe by wearing masks and keeping their distance from others. It also encourages everyone to get vaccinated and take their booster shots to help keep the virus away.