DOH doing surveillance on coronavirus variants from UK, South Africa, Malaysia

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said it is still monitoring if three of the new coronavirus variants are present in the Philippines.

"Sa ngayon, mayroon na tayong 3 variant na binabantayan. Ito po 'yung sa UK na type na variant, ito po 'yung sa South Africa na variant, and then there was this identified na variant din dito naman sa Malaysia," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.

"The three variants are already being monitored as it reflects signature mutations in the spike region of the virus as has been studied in affected countries," she added.

The Philippine Genome Center will continue to conduct surveillance tests in the country.

"We're getting samples from the different regions, specifically in Mindanao and Visayas because we would like to see if [in] these areas mayroon din tayong makita... baka sakali ay ma-determine natin kung may variant tayo dito sa mga lugar na ito," Vergeire said, adding that appropriations are being made to ensure unhampered operations in the PGC.

All other variants that may be detected in the surveillance sequencing will be reported to the DOH.

Vergeire reminded the public that no matter what the variant is, COVID-19 can be prevented by observing the same minimum health protocols.

"Hindi po nag-change ng mode of transmission. Kung paano nakakapanghawa ang sakit na ito, pareho pa rin po kahit na may variant," she said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that the emergence of a new coronavirus variant in the country is not a question of if but of when. 

"Talagang pinaghahandaan natin ito. That's why we're ramping up our health systems capacity, isolation quarantine facilities, and of course our surveillance capacities," he said.

Earlier this week, a Filipina domestic helper who arrived in Hong Kong tested positive for the UK variant. Her close contacts in the Philippines have since been  swabbed and quarantined. — RSJ, GMA News