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| Artist's rendition of the coronavirus disease. (Photo from PIRO4D from Pixabay) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] MANILA— Philippine health authorities announced Saturday that they detected 10 more cases of the more infectious coronavirus variant which was first identified in India, bringing the total number of cases of this variant to 12. PhilStar reported that all but one of the 10 new patients infected with the B.1.617.2 variant are from the MV Athens Bridge from India, where 12 Filipino seafarers contracted COVID-19.
Four of them are still admitted in a Manila hospital, while five are in an isolation facility, the DOH said. The DOH said samples from only nine of the 12 seafarers were sequenced, as samples from the remaining three were “not eligible” for the process. A seafarer who disembarked in Belgium and flew back to Manila via the United Arab Emirates also contracted the B.1.617.2 variant. He arrived in the Philippines last April 24 and completed his isolation last May 13.
Health authorities said they also detected 13 new cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), seven of the variant first identified in South Africa (B.1.351), and one of the variants first identified in the Philippines (P.3). Of the additional B.1.1.7 cases, 10 are local cases and three are from returning overseas Filipinos. All of them have recovered except for one who has died.
