By Julia Marie Mangmang 

The country detected its first case of the B.1.617.1 COVID-19 variant from a 32-year-old male living in Floridablanca, Pampanga yesterday, November 8, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported.

According to Vergeire, the sample was taken on the 2nd day of June, and the patient has now recovered after experiencing mild symptoms.

The undersecretary further stated that it was a local case. 

Different from the Delta subvariant AY.4.2, the B.1.617.1 variant, previously called the Kappa variant, is considered a sublineage of the Delta variant which has not been recorded in the Philippines until yesterday.

It has been discovered that the B.1.617.1 spreads faster than the alpha variant from the United Kingdom.

Due to the additional mutation in its spike protein, the variant was responsible for half of India’s COVID-cases back in March. 

The variant was originally considered a variant of interest by the World Health Organization until it was declassified as a variant under monitoring starting September 20, 2021. 

Vergeire added, “Further investigation is being done by the regional epidemiology and surveillance unit in order to gather more information on this case and there is strict monitoring of this case and the community.”

Yesterday, November 8, the Philippines recorded 2,087 new COVID-19 cases.  

References:

Fernandez, D. (2021, November 08). PH records first B.1.617.1 COVID-19 variant case in Pampanga. Inquirer. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1512018/ph-records-first-b-1-617-1-covid-19-variant-case-in-pampanga

Le Page, M. (2021, September 08). Delta covid-19 variant (B.1.617). NewScientist. https://www.newscientist.com/definition/indian-covid-19-variant-b-1-617/Ropero, G. (2021, November 08). PH detects first case of B.1.617.1 variant, more Delta cases. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/08/21/ph-detects-first-case-of-b16171-variant