DOH secretary: COVID-19 variants are likely extinct

Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa speaks during a press conference | INQUIRER.net / Arnel Tacson

MANILA, Philippines — The deadly COVID-19 variants are now likely “extinct,” said Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa on Tuesday.

Herbosa also noted that the department has recorded a four-percent decline in COVID-19 cases compared to the previous reporting period.

The DOH has yet to release updated data on the new infections.

“Ang magandang balita, walang masyadong naospital [sa COVID-19], 21 percent ang hospitalization at only 16 percent sa ICU [intensive care units]. So itong mga na-co-confine may ibang sakit, may co-morbidity,” the health chief said in a media forum.

(The good news is that not many were hospitalized [due to COVID-19], only 21 percent required hospitalization and just 16 percent in the ICU [intensive care units]. Those who were admitted have other illnesses or comorbidities.)

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“So mukhang extinct na ‘yung dating Alpha, Delta—’yung mga nakamamatay na variants. Mukhang naging extinct at nawala na. So walang dapat ipangamba ang ating mga kababayan. Pero ganun pa rin, kung ikaw ay may respiratory symptoms, ‘wag na pumasok sa eskwela o opisina at mamalagi sa bahay,” he added.

(So it seems that the previous Alpha and Delta variants, the deadly ones, appear to be extinct now. They seem to have become extinct and disappeared. So there’s nothing to worry about for our fellow countrymen. Nevertheless, if you have respiratory symptoms, it’s still advisable not to go to school or the office and to stay at home.)

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On the other hand, Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Eric Tayag noted that, unlike the Philippines, other parts of the world are currently experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases.

“Ang WHO [World Health Organization] ay patuloy na nagbibigay ng announcement tungkol sa pagkalat ng JN.1,” he said.

(The WHO continues to provide announcements regarding the spread of JN.1.)

The JN.1 subvariant has already been reported in the country, and the DOH is just waiting for the Philippine Genome Center to determine whether the public needs to take extra caution about it.