ILOILO City – Twenty-one more Western Visayans have been infected with the more transmissible Omicron BA.5 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to the Department of Health (DOH), 16 of these cases are in Iloilo City, four in Iloilo province and one in Guimaras.
These new cases bring the total cases of Omicron BA.5 variants in the region to 22. The nine other sub-variant cases are BA.2.12.1.
The Omicron BA.5 variant was first detected in South Africa on February 2022.
Preliminary studies have shown that the BA.5 variant is more transmissible than the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant.
Of the 16 new Omicron BA.5 variant cases in Iloilo City, 14 are on home quarantine while two cases are in hospitals.
Thirteen of the cases have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with booster doses while three received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Data also show that 11 of the cases have mild symptoms while five are asymptomatic.
DOH reiterates the importance of vaccination as a best defense against severe COVID-19 infect ion and complication.
The department continues to encourage the eligible population to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and to adhere to the minimum public health standards such as wearing of best-fitted mask, to isolate when signs and symptoms manifest, and to ensure that there is proper airflow or ventilation.
According to Iloilo Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Ma. Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, the four cases logged in Iloilo province have already recovered, and so was the case recorded last week.
The five new sub-variant cases in Iloilo including the one logged last week are from Cabatuan (two), Pototan (one), Tubungan (one), and Guimbal (one).
DOH Region 6 is closely coordinating with concerned local government units following the confirmation of the 21 cases of Omicron BA.5 variant in the region.
Case profiling and investigation are also currently being conducted in collaboration with the concerned provincial and city health offices to determine exposure, travel history, vaccination and current health status, isolation and quarantine status, as well as back tracing and contact tracing activities.
Based on the recommendations of the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Task Force on COVID-19 New Variants, cases positive for BA.5 variant of concern, either asymptomatic or with mild or moderate symptoms, must complete 14-day isolation, while 21-day hospital isolation shall be observed for severe/critical cases./PN
