DOH confirms 1st case of Lambda COVID-19 virus variant in PH
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Sunday, August 15, the presence of the Lambda variant of the coronavirus in the Philippines.
The DOH said that the first case of Lambda variant involves a 35-year-old woman and is “currently being validated as to whether she is a local or returning overseas Filipino case.”
“The case was asymptomatic and tagged as recovered after undergoing the 10-day isolation period. The DOH is currently conducting back tracing and case investigation,” the DOH said in a statement.
The Lambda variant was first identified in Peru in August 2020 and is currently classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“This VOI has the potential to affect the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and is currently being monitored for its possible clinical significance,” said the DOH.
Delta variant
Cases of Delta variant continue to increase as 182 new cases were found. Of this figure, 112 are local cases, 36 are returning overseas Filipinos (ROF), and 34 cases are currently being verified if these are local or ROF cases.
“Based on the case line list, one is still active, 176 cases have been tagged as recovered, four cases have died, and one case has an outcome that is being verified. All other details are being validated by the regional and local health offices,” the DOH said.
Of the 112 local cases, 42 cases had indicated addresses in the National Capital Region (NCR), while 36 cases had indicated addresses in Central Luzon, eight cases in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), six cases in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), six cases in Northern Mindanao, four cases in Central Visayas, three cases in Davao Region, three cases in Caraga, two cases in Western Visayas, and one case each in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. (BARMM)
The total number of Delta variant cases is now at 807.
Other variants
Also, the DOH announced the detection of 41 Alpha variant cases, 66 Beta variant cases, and 40 P.3 variant cases.
With these, the total Alpha variant cases in the Philippines is now at 2,232; Beta variant cases at 2,483; and P.3 variant cases at 347.
“Regardless of the presence of any variant of concern, the DOH reiterates to the public the strict adherence to the minimum public health standards, strengthened PDITR (Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate), and vaccination strategies remain effective,” the DOH said.
“Active case finding, aggressive contact tracing, and immediate isolation/quarantine can also lower the transmission of the COVID-19 and its variants,” it added.