Current COVID-19 vaccines could still work vs. new variant from UK —expert

An infectious diseases expert on Sunday allayed concerns that the currently available vaccines against COVID-19 would not work against the new variant of the coronavirus from the United Kingdom.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Dr. Mario Panaligan, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said that a COVID-19 vaccine would allow a person to develop enough antibodies to ward off the novel coronavirus even as it has already mutated.

"Ang bakuna naman maraming antibodies 'yan na made-develop natin kapag nabakunahan tayo. So posible pa rin siyang malabanan kahit na nag-mutate 'yan," he said.

"Hindi naman dapat tayo matakot na hindi na magiging epektibo 'yung bakuna kasi maraming antibodies tayong mapo-produce kapag nabakunahan tayo," he added.

The new coronavirus variant detected in the United Kingdom, SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 (Variant Under Investigation, year 2020, month 12, variant 01), was reported to be 70% more transmissible than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

However, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said there is no evidence yet that the new variant causes COVID-19 to be more severe.

Panaligan said it is natural that viruses would mutate. In fact, he said the novel coronavirus had other mutations but are less concerning.

"Tandaan natin na may pagkakataon lang na pailan-ilan, mas nagiging nakakahawa. At huwag naman sanang mangyari na may lumabas na mutant na nagiging dahilan para maging mas grabe 'yung sakit," he said.

To ensure detection and spread of the new coronavirus variant in the country, Panaligan said the Philippines will intensify its virus surveillance and genomic sequencing.

"Doon sa mga pasyente na naging malala, gagawan nila ng genomic sequencing para malaman natin kung variant din 'yan. Kasi hindi lang sa UK posibleng mangyari yun e. Pati sa atin, pwedeng magkaroon ng variant," he said.

For now, Panaligan advised the public to keep observing the minimum health standards to protect themselves from COVID-19.

Duque on Saturday announced that one of the 79 passengers that arrived in the Philippines from the UK have tested positive for COVID-19, though it is not yet known whether or not the person was carrying the new variant.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte asked the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology to create a new task force that would focus on developments related to the new variant. 

The President approved the extension for another two weeks of the travel ban for flights from the United Kingdom in light of the new variant there. The ban is originally set to expire on December 31. —KG, GMA News