Ni ANALOU DE VERA
Kinumpirma ng Department of Health (DOH) nitong Sabado,Marso 13, ang isna bagong variant ng coronavirus na tinatawag na P.3 na unang natagpuan sa Pilipinas.
Sinabi ng DOH na walang sapat na ebidensya na ipinapakita na ang P.3 variant ay isang variant of concern.
Noong Pebrero, sinabi ng DOH na dalawang "mutations with potential clinical significance” o ang N501Y at E484K, ay napansin sa mga sample mula sa Central Visayas.
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“Upon verification with the Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak Lineages (PANGOLIN), the said samples with these mutations have been reassigned to the P.3 variant, belonging to the B.1.1.28 lineage, to which the P.1(Brazil) variant also belongs,” sinabi ng DOH sa isang pahayag.
“At present, the P.3 is not identified as a variant of concern as current available data are insufficient to conclude whether the variant will have significant public health implications,” sinabi ng DOH.
Ang kabuuang bilang ng P.3 variant cases sa bansa ay nasa 98.
Sinabi ng Japan Ministry of Health noong Biyernes, Marso 12, na nakita nito ang isang bagong variant ng coronavirus sa isang manlalakbay mula sa Pilipinas.
Ang Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), sa pahayag na ipinaskil sa website nito, ay sinabing ang sample ng traveler mula sa Pilipinas ay may “E484K and N501Y mutations from a SARS-CoV-2.”
“The potential public health impact from this variant strain shall be considered to be equivalent to those from known VOCs (variants of concern) as this variant strain shares the same mutations of concern with VOCs,” sinabi ng NIID.
“Thus, NIID recommends enhanced vigilance and border health measures to be implemented for this variant,” dagdag nito.
