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Philippines detects first case of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16

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Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (red) infected with the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/04/25/covid-19-niaid.jpg"/><figcaption>Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (red) infected with the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. <em>Credit: NIAID</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> — The Philippines has confirmed its first case of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, which is spreading around the world, according to the Department of Health.</p><p>Based on the agency&#x27;s latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report, the case of XBB.1.16 was detected in Western Visayas.</p><p>Dubbed &quot;Arcturus&quot; on social media, the new COVID-19 offshoot is a descendent lineage of XBB, a recombinant of two BA.2 descendent lineages.</p><p>The World Health Organization designated the XBB.1.16 as variant of interest or VOI last week following a sustained increase in its prevalence.</p><p>So far, the XBB.1.16 has been reported in 33 countries and has been mostly documented in India.</p><p>&quot;The variant was initially flagged due to its increasing global prevalence and for having mutations which may lead to increase in infectivity or pathogenicity,&quot; the DOH report said.</p><p>&quot;However, currently available evidence for XBB.1.16 does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original omicron variant,&quot; it added.</p><p>To date, the global risk assessment for XBB.1.16 is low compared to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/07/23/ph-records-first-cases-of-covid-variants-xbb15-ch11">XBB.1.5</a> and other currently circulating variants, the WHO also said.</p><p>&quot;Available information does not suggest that XBB.1.16 has additional public health risk relative to XBB.1.5 and the other currently circulating omicron descendent lineages,&quot; the WHO said in its initial risk assessment on April 17.</p><p>&quot;However, XBB.1.16 may become dominant in some countries and cause a rise in case incidence due to its growth advantage and immune escape characteristics.&quot;</p><p>In the US, XBB.1.16 accounted for 9.6 percent of COVID-19 cases last week, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed.</p><p>The XBB.1.5 is still the dominant strain there, comprising 73.6 percent of new virus cases.</p><p>The DOH biosurveillance report also revealed that health authorities had detected 84 other offshoots of omicron.</p><p>Some 38 were classified as XBB, including 13 XBB.1.5 cases and 14 XBB.1.9.1 cases; 28 as BA.2.3.20; 12 as BA.5, including 2 BQ.1 cases; 3 as XBC; and 3 as other omicron sublineages.</p><p>Results of the samples sequenced by the University of the Philippines - Philippine Genome Center Visayas, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and San Lazaro Hospital were released on April 12 to 17.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2592819" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Philippines has confirmed its first case of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, which is spreading around the world, according to the DOH.

Philippines detects first case of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16

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Philippines detects first case of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16

Davinci Maru,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 25, 2023 04:47 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 26, 2023 11:04 AM PHT

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