Over 1,200 additional Omicron subvariant cases were detected in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
In its latest report, the DOH said there were 1,200 new BA.5 subvariant cases, 33 more BA.4 cases, three additional cases of BA.2.75, and two new cases of BA.2.12.1.
All regions detected the BA.5 subvariant except in Eastern Visayas, based on the latest genome sequencing result. Of the 33 BA.4 cases, 31 were found in Soccsksargen and the two other cases were logged in Northern Mindanao.
Of the three new BA.2.75, two cases were found in Central Visayas and the other case in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Meanwhile, of the two more cases of BA.2.12.1, one case was found in Cagayan Valley and the other in CAR.
The DOH noted that there were 162 cases that belonged to the “other sublineages” of the Omicron variant.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they are no longer reporting these other Omicron subvariants to avoid confusion among the public.
Vergeire said that the DOH is only providing to the public the most common Omicron subvariants in the country.
“It’s going to confuse the public pag binigay pa natin lahat ng (if we give all the) technical descriptions of all of these subvariants,” Vergeire explained on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
There remains no evidence that these other subvariants “can cause more severe or critical infections” or have “different characteristics from the existing variant,” said Vergeire.
Vergeire said that continued transmission of the Covid-19 virus can drive more mutations.
“This virus kasama sa kanyang life cycle ang pagmumutate. Nakakapag mutate ang virus kapag favorable ang condition (Mutation is part of a virus’ life cycle. The virus can mutate when conditions are favorable),” she said.
In order to stop the virus from mutating, it is best to get vaccinated to stop the chain of transmission, said Vergeire.