MANILA — The Philippines has detected its first case of omicron subvariant XBF, which is linked to the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Australia and Sweden, according to the Department of Health.

Based on the agency's latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report issued Wednesday, 2 new cases of omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 were also detected, raising its tally to 3.

According to experts, XBB.1.5, dubbed the "Kraken," is the most transmissible COVID-19 subvariant so far.

Both subvariants are classified by the World Health Organization as subvariants under monitoring.

• Filipino with no travel history is Philippines' first XBB.1.5 case - DOH

The DOH said the XBF is a recombinant sublineage of BA.5.2.3 and CJ.1 (BA.2.75.3 sublineage), which was initially flagged for its increasing prevalence and had been associated with recent case increases in Australia and Sweden.

A recent wastewater analysis revealed that XBF accounted for approximately 55 percent of total cases detected in Victoria, Australia.

Preliminary studies also showed that many of Australia’s antiviral treatments against COVID-19 were no longer effective against multiple omicron subvariants circulating in the country, including XBF.

"However, currently available evidence for XBF does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original omicron variant," the DOH report read.

"Currently, the subvariant is still reported under omicron by the WHO and will remain classified under omicron until sufficient evidence arises showing that the virus characteristics are significantly different from omicron," it added.

The DOH said the XBF sample was collected in December 2022 and was sequenced on Jan. 28, 2023.

• XBB.1.5 likely to be the next major COVID subvariant

Out of 69 samples sequenced by health authorities February 7-9, 26 were classified as XBB (including 2 cases classified as XBB.1.5), 10 as BA.2.3.20, 3 as BA.5 (including 1 case classified as BQ.1), 2 as BA.2.75, 1 case as XBC, and 20 as other omicron sublineages.

Of the 26 XBB cases, 1 case was classified as a returning overseas Filipino and the rest were local cases from Regions 2, 3, 4A, 7, 10, 11, and NCR (including 2 cases classified as XBB.1.5), the DOH said.

All additional BA.2.3.20 cases were local cases from Regions 1, 2, 4A, 9, 11, CAR, and NCR. Meanwhile, out of 3 reported BA.5 cases, 2 cases were ROFs and 1 was a local case from Region 1 (including 1 case classified as BQ.1). The 2 recently detected BA.2.75 cases were classified as ROFs while the XBC case was a local case from Region 11, the agency added.

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