ILOILO City – A total of 165 Western Visayans have so far been infected with variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As of Aug. 5, a total of 42 individuals were infected with the Delta variant, of which 36 were local cases and six were returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), according to Dr. Daphynie Toerima, spokesperson of the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6.
The region also recorded 53 cases of the Alpha variant, 39 of which were local cases and 14 ROFs.
As to the Beta variant, the region logged 54 cases – 11 ROFs and 43 local cases.
There was one case of Gamma variant, an ROF, and 15 Theta variant cases composed of two ROFs and 13 local cases.
Iloilo province had the most SARS-CoV-2 variants with 62. Here’s the breakdown:
* 19 Alpha (five ROFs, 14 local cases)
* 30 Beta (two ROFs, 28 local)
* one Gamma (ROF)
* two Theta (local)
* 10 Delta (two ROFs, eight local)
Antique had 40 cases – 22 Delta (all local cases); 15 Alpha (one ROF, 14 local); one Beta (local); and two Theta (local).
Iloilo City recorded 16 cases. It had six Delta variant cases (two ROFs, four local cases); five Alpha (two ROFs, three local cases); three local cases of Beta; and two local cases if Theta.
Negros Occidental recorded 15 cases. Five of these were Alpha (four ROFs, one local); five Beta (four ROFs, one local); and five cases of Theta (two ROFs, three local).
Capiz and Guimaras provinces both have 10 cases each.
In Capiz, one was an Alpha (local case); five were Beta (two ROFs, three local cases); and four were Delta cases (two ROFs, two local cases).
Meanwhile in Guimaras, five were Alpha (local cases); four were Beta (local cases); and one was a Theta (local case).
Aklan, on the other hand, listed seven cases of the variants. These included one Alpha (ROF); one ROF and three local cases of Beta; and two Theta local cases.
Bacolod has five cases which included one ROF and one local case of Alpha; two ROF cases of Beta; and one local case of Theta variant.
The DOH-6 is yet to consolidate the data as to how many of these variant cases have already recovered and are still active.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with partners, expert networks, national authorities, institutions and researchers have been monitoring and assessing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. It has identified four variants of concern. These are the following:
* Alpha – initially detected in the United Kingdom
* Beta – initially detected in South Africa in December 2020
* Gamma – initially identified in travelers from Brazil who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January
* Delta – initially identified in India in December 2020
These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States.
The Theta, on the other hand, was a new COVID-19 variant officially designated as Lineage “P.3” detected in the Philippines on March 2021. It has been classified recently by the WHO as a variant under “alert for further monitoring” because of its decreased and sporadic detection./PN