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DOH detects nearly 700 Filipinos infected with new COVID-19 variants

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<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=1678152" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said about 700 new COVID-19 patients in the country are infected with variants of the disease.</p><p>From 744 samples sequenced last week, 289 patients were found to be infected with the UK variant (B.1.1.7), 380 with the South African variant (B.1.351) variant, and 9 with the Philippine variant (P.3), the DOH said in a statement, citing data from the University of the Philippines Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH).</p><p>&quot;[The] B.1.351 is the most common variant among the samples sequenced with assigned lineages, contrary to reports that it is now the dominant variant in the country,&quot; the DOH said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/31/21/nothing-is-true-doh-refutes-document-claiming-p3-coronavirus-variant-is-very-contagious">‘Nothing is true’: DOH refutes document claiming P.3 coronavirus variant is very contagious</a></li></ul><p>The COVID-19 variant which originated in the Philippines is &quot;not identified as a variant of concern (VOC) since current data is insufficient to determine whether the variant will have significant public health implications,&quot; it said.</p><div><strong>UK VARIANT</strong></div><p>Over half of those infected with the UK variant caught the virus locally, while 48 others are overseas Filipino workers who had returned home, the DOH said.</p><p>The agency is still verifying how 56 other patients were infected with the virus.</p><p>Among those infected with the UK variant, 284 have recovered, 2 died, while 3 others continue to battle the disease.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/13/21/ph-detects-new-covid-variant-doh">UK COVID-19 variant now in the Philippines, says DOH</a></li></ul><div><strong>SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT</strong></div><p>Nearly 200 of the 380 patients infected with the South African variant were local cases, while 107 are Filipinos who came from abroad, the DOH said.</p><p>The origin of 77 B.1.351 cases are still being verified, the agency said.</p><p>&quot;Based on the case line list, 1 case is still active and 379 cases have been tagged as recovered.&quot;</p><div><strong>PHILIPPINE VARIANT</strong></div><p>The 9 carriers of the Philippine variant have recovered from the disease, the DOH said.</p><p>Three were from overseas, 4 from local communities, and the origin of 2 others are still being verified, it said.</p><p>So far, the UP-PGC has sequenced a total of 7,167 samples, of which 5,917 were assigned lineages, according to data from the DOH.</p><p>&quot;Among the samples with assigned lineages, the B.1.351 composed 18.2 percent, the B.1.1.7 composed 16 percent, the P.3 composed 2.7 percent,&quot; it said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/26/21/covid19-indian-variant-not-detected-philippines">Indian variant of COVID-19 not yet detected in Philippines — DOH</a></li></ul><p>The national government hopes to curb the transmission of COVID-19 as more Filipinos get vaccinated against the virus, the DOH said.</p><p>&quot;The DOH calls on the public to strictly and consistently adhere to the minimum public health standards to minimize the risk of exposure and infection,&quot; it said.</p><p>As of May 4, at least 5 cities have begun administering Sputnik V jabs to medical frontliners. </p><p>The Philippines is expected to receive 485,000 additional doses of the Russian-made vaccine in the coming months as the national government hopes to inoculate some 70 million Filipinos within the year.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/scientists-find-antibody-drug-that-can-neutralize-virus-variants-in-lab-study">Scientists find antibody drug that can neutralize virus variants in lab study</a></li></ul><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=1677546" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said about 700 new COVID-19 patients in the country are infected with variants of the disease.</p>

MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said about 700 new COVID-19 patients in the country are infected with variants of the disease.

DOH detects nearly 700 Filipinos infected with new COVID-19 variants

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DOH detects nearly 700 Filipinos infected with new COVID-19 variants

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 04, 2021 04:02 PM PHT

|

Updated May 05, 2021 11:37 AM PHT

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DOH

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coronavirus

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Philippine variant

UK variant

South African variant

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