19 additional Delta variants detected in Central Visayas

FILE PHOTO: This undated transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S. NIAID-RML/Handout via REUTERS.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) on Tuesday, August 24, confirmed that they detected 19 additional cases of the Delta variant in the region.

But these patients were considered as “recovered” since they have already completed their mandatory quarantine, the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (RESU-7) reported.

RESU-7 said the patients came from Cebu City (6), Lapu-Lapu City (6), Talisay City (1), and the towns of Samboan (3), San Fernando (1), Boljoon, and Argao (1).

They were also tagged as “local cases” since they do not have any recent travel history outside the country, giving further support to the theory that community transmission of the dreaded variant is already happening here which DOH-7 raised before.

“Since we started the bio-surveillance especially for the Delta variant, and the first batch of results were released, and these were from the community samples, it is not far from the probability of a community transmission,” said Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of DOH-7.

Between July 7 and July 30, a total of 268 samples from COVID patients in Central Visayas were sent to the Philippine Genome Center to detect the presence of the Delta variant.

DOH-7 tallied a total of 59 COVID-19 cases in the region confirmed to have been infected with the Delta variant, also named the B.1.167.2 mutation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.

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