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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider First UK variant case in Umingan town is Pangasinan province's third

First UK variant case in Umingan town is Pangasinan province's third

Published Mar 23, 2021 03:51 pm

DAGUPAN CITY – The province of Pangasinan recorded another case of UK variant today after a positive case from Umingan town tested positive this March.
 
Umingan mayor Michael Carleone Cruz said the COVID-19 patient carrying the UK variant virus is the town’s Case No. 35, a 56-year-old female from Barangay Poblacion West.
 
She tested positive for COVID-19 on March 3. Her samples were then immediately sent to the Philippine Genome Center for sequencing.
 
“The Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of the sample taken from Umingan Case No. 35 on March 3, 2021 was released by University of the Philippines — Philippine Genome Center to the Department of Health on March 19, 2021, indicating a positive result for the B.1.1.7 variant, a new variant that was first discovered in the UK”, said Cruz in his statement.
 
The LGU only received the confirmation Tuesday morning, March 23.
 
Provincial health officer Dr. Anna de Guzman confirmed it as the third case of UK variant in Pangasinan.
 
The first case was recorded last January, an OFW from Dubai. The second UK variant case was recorded last February, a 65-year-old female who had no travel history outside Pangasinan.
 
“The case from Umingan had a travel history in Metro Manila”, said de Guzman in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
 
While the Umingan patient has already finished her 14-day quarantine, the PHO began its aggressive and stricter contact tracing.
 
Meanwhile, the PHO is exerting its best effort to prevent an outbreak in the province.
 
De Guzman, however, clarified that only the UK variant has been recorded in the province for now, although she expects additional cases in the future.
 
“We are not removing the possibility na maaaring magkaroon ng ibang variant dito sa atin. Lahat ng nagpopositive na cases sa atin, ipinapa-genome testing na natin (We are not removing the possibility that other variants could reach our place. All those who tests positive, we make them undergo genome testing)”, said de Guzman.
 
However, she said genome sequencing results are expected to be delayed because of the overload in the sequencing facility.
 
The UK variant, while more contagious, is less potent. Nevertheless, the public is urged to religiously observe the standard health protocols.

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