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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOH asks public to be more cautious amid threat of Delta variant

DOH asks public to be more cautious amid threat of Delta variant

Published Jul 19, 2021 07:51 pm

The Department of Health (DOH) has asked the public to be more cautious especially amid the threat of the highly transmissible coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Delta variant.

DOH/MB

"Be more cautious and comply with the (health) protocols because this is highly transmissible," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing Monday, July 19.

"Based on evidence, it’s 43 to 90 percent transmissible than the UK variant...the Delta variant can infect up to 8 persons in just one sitting," she added.

When asked if there are likely undetected cases of the Delta variant, Vergeire replied: "The possibilities are always there."

"As we have said, we do purposive sampling, we do purposive sampling wherein what we do is we get samples in areas with high cases," she said.

But the Health department expects the capacity to conduct genome sequencing to increase once new machines arrive.

"We are trying as much as possible to expand our capacity. So, our capacity now is 750 runs or samples that we test per week. Once the extraction machines bought by the Philippine Genome Center arrive, this will double 1,500 per week," said Vergeire.

"Also, we are expanding through our sub-national laboratories to increase their capacity so that they can also do genome sequencing, and the Philippine Genome Center is now extending the capacity to their Visayas and Mindanao University of the Philippines Network," she added.

Meanwhile, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) President Dr. Jose de Grano expressed hopes that the Delta variant won't lead to more moderate, severe, or critical COVID-19 cases in view of shortages in healthcare workers being faced by some hospitals.

"After the surge that happened in April, many nursing staff in private hospitals resigned or transferred," he said during the Laging Handa forum.

"If they are asymptomatic or mild cases, the hospitals can still find ways to accommodate them," he added.

"The problem is if they are moderate or critical cases. Private hospitals will have a problem," de Grano said.

Related Tags

delta variant covid-19 Maria Rosario Vergeire doh
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