First 2 Omicron deaths unvaccinated seniors – DOH

MANILA, Philippines, January 20 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported the first two deaths from the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which health authorities believe to be the cause of the current surge in cases.

One of the fatalities is from the National Capital Region (NCR) and the other is from Central Luzon, but both were over 60 years old, unvaccinated, and had preexisting medical conditions, the DOH said. “While Omicron mostly presents with asymptomatic and mild disease, our data shows that those most at risk for fatalities are still the elderly and those with comorbidities and unvaccinated,” it said in a statement. “With the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the DOH urges the public to follow protective health protocols and adhere to minimum public health standards,” the DOH said.

‘Predominant variant’

The health department said the two, whose personal details were not disclosed, were among nearly 500 new Omicron cases detected by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC). On Tuesday, Dr. Alethea de Guzman, director of the Epidemiology Bureau of the DOH, said the more transmissible Omicron variant was now the “predominant variant” in NCR and had been detected in 13 of the country’s 17 regions. The DOH said the new Omicron cases were in addition to 43 that had so far been known since the variant entered the country in December last year, raising its total number of cases to 535. It said that 68.9 percent, or 492 of the 714 specimen samples, analyzed by the PGC on Jan. 13-14 were found to be Omicron. Of the 492 new cases, 332 were local transmissions and 160 were Filipinos who returned from abroad.

The DOH said 227 of the local cases had NCR addresses; 76 in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon); 11 in Central Luzon and five in Central Visayas. There were also two cases each from Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Davao Region, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) and the Cordillera Administrative Region; and one each from the Ilocos Region, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Three cases are still active and 467 had recovered. The outcomes of 20 other cases are still being verified, the DOH said.

Source: inquirer.net