DOH confirms local transmission of UK variant in Bontoc, Mt Province

MANILA, Philippines, January 26 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed a local transmission of the more contagious variant of Covid-19 in Bontoc, Mountain Province following the detection of 12 cases in the town. “The Department of Health confirms local transmission in Bontoc of the B117 variant of SARS-CoV-2 as identified through genomic sequencing,” the DOH said in a statement Monday night.

The DOH said that “to date, all identified cases with the UK variant can be epidemiologically linked to cases coming directly from outside the country (importation) or from specific cases or exposures that can still be identified (local transmission).” However, the health department said it found no strong evidence of community transmission of the Covid-19 mutation in Bontoc.

The World Health Organization has laid down the following criteria for community transmission of Covid-19: appearance of large number of cases, occurrence of case clusters in multiple areas, and inability to link cases to known sources of infection. The DOH reminded the public that the new variant, first reported in the United Kingdom, “has evidence for increased transmissibility, but not increased severity or fatality.”

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net