DOH records 656 more Omicron subvariants cases

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said 656 additional COVID-19 Omicron subvariant cases were recently detected in the country.

Based on the latest sequencing result of the specimen collection from July 20 to August 22, majority of these new Omicron cases or 624 of them were BA.5.

Of this number, 134 were from the National Capital Region (NCR), 119 from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 61 from Calabarzon, 56 from Soccsksargen, 41 from Central Luzon, 40 from Caraga, 35 from Central Visayas, 33 from Cagayan Valley, 26 from Ilocos Region, 22 from the Bicol Region, 15 from Mimaropa, six each from Western Visayas and BARMM, five each from Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao Region, and one from Northern Mindanao.

Nineteen returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) were also found carrying the BA.5 subvariant.

The BA.5 has been driving an increase in new COVID-19 infections globally and has shown to be particularly good at evading the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection

Aside from the BA.5, the country also detected additional 13 BA.4 and one BA.2.12.1 subvariant cases.

There were also 18 cases of other COVID-19 sublineages logged based on the same sequencing results.

The DOH earlier said that BA.4’s “faster transmission is likely because of its ability to evade immune protection induced by prior infection and/or vaccination, particularly if this has waned over time.”

Meanwhile, the BA.2.12.1 and the BA.2.12 may be “more transmissible than the original Omicron variant” and may possibly have an immune escape based on studies, it added. — RSJ, GMA News