By J. Jala | 10:49 PM July 09, 2021
Bohol Governor Arthur Yap on Friday confirmed that more transmissible Covid-19 variants have already been detected in the province.
“Base sa report, adunay 3 ka Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7)(l st documented in the UK), 1 ka Beta Variant (B.1.351)(Ist documented in South Africa) ug 2 ka Theta Variant (P.3)(1st documented in the Philippines),” said Yap who received the report from the Philippine Genome Center.
Samples were sent to center to verify the variants in Bohol.
Yap instructed mayors to implement the health protocols.
” Tungod niini, akong gimandoan ang tanang Mayor nga istriktong sundon ang atong Memo nga gipadala niadtong July 4, 2021. lsiguro nato nga adunay mga TIME nga magamit sa matag lungsod, dili nato tugutan ang Home Isolation sa mga nagpositibo ug kinahanglan kuhaan ug swab samples ang tanang close contact sa pasyente bison pa ug wala kini nagpakita ug simtomas,” Yap said.
The World Health Organization. (WHO) revealed the new names of the variants, based on the letters of the Greek alphabet. The variants were grouped into two: variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI).
The Theta variant is considered a VOI. The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said that it was “not identified as a variant of concern, as current available data are insufficient to conclude whether the variant will have significant public health implications.”
“Now, once again, what we need to do here is turn back to the established theoretical frameworks that tell you what happens when a new variant arises. And what we know is that when a new variant arises, if it has even a very slight transmission advantage, it can take over. And this is more likely to happen when a lot of people are already immune, so the variants are sort of scrambling for new people to infect.”
Source: Dr Sunetra Gupta, have worked in the field at a theoretical and practical level for decades; published in high-impact journals on controlling HIV, pneumonia, malaria and Hepatitis B among other diseases; and more recently developed and patented a novel flu vaccine