Coronavirus variant first discovered in Philippines investigated in England

LONDON, United Kingdom - Public Health England (PHE) on Tuesday said another variant, first identified in the Philippines, was being investigated after two cases were identified in England.

One of the cases was linked to international travel, with the other still under investigation.

The PHE also said two new cases of the P.1 coronavirus variant first discovered in northern Brazil had been reported, bringing the total number of reported cases of the variant in Britain to 12.

The health authority said both new cases were linked to international travel with Brazil.

Japanese health authorities earlier detected the coronavirus variant from a traveler from the Philippines. 

In a statement, Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases said the sample was collected from a traveler from the Philippines on February 25.

The NIID said the variant contains N501Y and E484K, two mutations of concern that were detected in Central Visayas last month.

The Department of Health said over the weekend that 13 new COVID-19 cases were found to have the P.3 variant, bringing the total to 98 as of March 13.

The DOH is veering away from the practice of naming coronavirus variants after the countries where they were first detected, saying this causes undue stigma against certain populations.

Anna Ong-Lim, expert-member of the DOH technical working group focusing on new coronavirus variants, confirmed on Saturday that the mutations N501Y and E484K, the two mutations of concern that were detected in Central Visayas last month, are unique to the Philippines and have been assigned as the P.3 variant. —Reuters/KG, GMA News