Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 5) A number of nations face fresh challenges months into the COVID-19 pandemic, with new virus variants seen as hurdles in crisis response.
Expert tagged variants first reported in other countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and the US as highly contagious with some possibly even dodging protection from newly developed vaccines.
The Philippines was not spared from them. The country so far logged cases of the B.1.1.7 and the B.1.351 the UK and South Africa variants, respectively triggering localized lockdowns, massive testing, and intensive contact tracing in areas of concern.
Heres what we know so far about the variants presence in the country:
B.1.1.7 (UK variant)
What it is
The B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant, also known as the UK variant, had a large number of mutations and is associated with increased virus transmissibility, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers said the variant first emerged in the UK in September 2020.
First detection in PH
The UK variant was first detected in the country in January. Samples from a Filipino who returned home from the United Arab Emirates yielded positive genome sequencing results, health officials confirmed.
The patient, a Quezon City resident, left for Dubai in December for a business trip and arrived in the country on January 7.
Where it stands
As of publishing, the total number of B.1.1.7 cases in the country stood at 118. Of this number, 39 are active cases, 77 recovered, while two died.
Data released March 5 by the Health Department showed that UK variant cases were recorded in the following regions:
Cordillera Administrative Region
Metro Manila
Calabarzon (Region 4-A)
Northern Mindanao (Region 10)
A number of variant cases were also tagged as returning overseas Filipinos from the Middle East, Singapore, and the US. One foreign national was also listed under this category.
Are vaccines effective?
Earlier studies stated the absence of evidence that the variant would have an impact on the efficacy of developed vaccines.
However, UK researchers reported in February that a mutation allowing COVID-19 to escape antibody protection dubbed as the E484K was found in some samples of the B.1.1.7 strain.
B.1.351 (South Africa variant)
What it is
The B.1.351 variant was first discovered in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa in October 2020, and also has multiple mutations in the spike protein, according to the US CDC.
First detection in PH
DOH announced the first six cases of the South Africa variant on March 2.
Where it stands
As of publishing, the total number of B.1.351 cases in the country stood at 58. Fifty-five of these are active cases or currently ill patients, while three recovered.
Majority of the South Africa variant cases were in Metro Manila.
Are vaccines effective?
Experts expressed concern over this variant after researchers in South Africa warned that it could impact the efficacy of vaccines.
Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the variant has a component of immune escape wherein the vaccine may have trouble in helping the inoculated patient build antibodies to fight the virus because of the presence of the E484K mutation.
OCTA Research Group fellow and molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco earlier warned that the AstraZeneca vaccine, in particular, may not do its job of protecting the public should this variant continue to spread. Quoting global studies, Austriaco said the variant dramatically decreases the product’s efficacy from 70% to 10%.
Despite this, the World Health Organization promotes the vaccine developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm.
No PH variant yet
Despite the presence of these two, Philippine health officials maintained that no new and unique variant has emerged locally so far.
Tayo po ay nagsa-submit na rin sa international classifications, and base po sa mga datos na meron tayo ngayon with these variants, wala pa po tayong variant for the Philippines, Vergeire told CNN Philippines in a previous interview.
[Translation: We have also been submitting for international classifications and based on the data that we have with these variants, we still do not have a variant for the Philippines.]
This story will be updated as more information comes in.
