Baguio City has recorded a total of 57 Covid-19 new variant cases as of July 7.
Of the number, 54 cases are Alpha (UK or B117) and four are Beta (South African of B1351) variants.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the Philippine Genome Center in its latest report detected 17 additional cases of Alpha and two more cases of Beta variants in the city.
The age range of the new cases is from 10 months to 83 years old with 10 females and nine males. Four of the patients died and 15 recovered from the disease.
As per the PGC biosurveillance report, no Delta (Indian) variant has so far been isolated but the mayor warned of the likelihood that the dreaded type, said to be more severe and more contagious, will hit the country and the city any time.
Magalong urged various sectors including the medical community to be proactive against the Delta type which is causing havoc in other countries by coming up with contingency measures to counter its protracted effects on the city’s health care and response systems.
“We have no Delta variant in the country based on PGC report but it may just be because we are not processing all specimens due to limited capability of the PGC, complicated by the lack of reagents and ancillary supplies. So we have to be prepared,” the mayor said.
The City Health Services Officer under Dr. Rowena Galpo mapped out strategies which include setting up of more isolation facilities and beds in anticipation of increased hospitalizations due to the new variant’s propensity to cause more severe symptoms; expediting vaccination; and intensifying compliance to the minimum public health standards. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
October 2, 2023
