An infectious disease expert assured the public on Thursday, Oct. 21, that there is “no need to panic” amid the detection of the new subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus.
"Kinakailangang pag-aralan pero di kailangang mag-panic (There is a need to study it but there's no need to panic)," said Dr. Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group in an interview with DZBB.
Salvana also said the AY 4.2 subvariant that has been detected in some European countries and recently identified in Israel is not yet a variant of concern.
"Hindi siya tinuturing na formal variant. Parang Delta pa rin siya... Kailangan muna natin na laging sinusubaybayan na bago natin masabi na variant of concern (It is not yet considered as a formal variant. It's just like Delta. We first need to monitor it before we can say that it is a variant of concern)," he pointed out.
"Wala pa po kasing malakas na ebidensya, nakikita lang nila medyo dumadami ng konti pero not to the level nga of Delta (There is no strong evidence yet, they just see a slight increase but not to the level of Delta)," said Salvana, adding the subvariant is still Delta but with mutation.
To prevent further spread of the variant, Salvana reiterated the call to still observe the minimum public health standards and to get vaccinated.
"Pag aaralan po natin 'to and of course we will always be vigilant. We'll track kung may mga pumapasok dito sa Pilipinas bagamat sa ngayon problema naman talaga ang delta. Delta is the most deadliest and the most transmissible (We will study this and of course we will always be vigilant. We'll track if there are variants entering here in the Philippines, although right now, the Delta is really the problem. Delta is the most deadliest and the most transmissible)."