DOH confirmed local transmission of UK COVID-19 variant in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday night confirmed local transmission of UK COVID-19 variant in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
In a statement, the DOH said that the Department of Health confirmed local transmission in Bontoc, Mountain Province, of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 — referring to the COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom – as identified through genomic sequencing.
“To date, all identified cases with the UK variant can be epidemiologically linked to cases coming directly from outside the country (importation) or from specific cases or exposures that can still be identified (local transmission),” the Department of Health said.
However, the Department of Health said that there’s “no strong evidence of community transmission” in Bontoc based on the World Health Organization’s definition.
According to the World Health Organization, community transmission referred to a large number of coronavirus cases, case clusters in multiple areas, and “inability to link cases to known sources of infection”.
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It also revised the initial information it released on Monday morning that the “index case” or possible source of coronavirus infections in Bontoc, Mountain Province, was a Filipino who came from the UK.
In a report on ABS-CBN News, the Department of Health clarified that the man — who arrived in Bontoc last December — had tested positive for COVID-19 but negative for the new COVID-19 variant. His wife — who accompanied him to Bontoc – had tested negative for COVID-19.
The cluster of cases in Brgy. Samoki in Bontoc, Mountain Province was previously reported to have begun with the man.
A total of 46 contacts linked to the said man — who “mingled with relatives and neighbors” and attended a traditional ritual in Bontoc, Mountain Province — had tested positive for COVID-19.
But 12 of the 46 had the UK COVID-19 variant in their samples while the man was negative for the variant. There were 28 more that were awaiting genome sequencing.
The cases were linked through coronavirus infections in households, workplaces, and public places in the community.
Since the man was negative for the UK covid-19 variant, the Department of Health said that the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) and local government unit (LGU) were currently “backward tracing” exposures and travel histories of cases in order to identify other possible source/s of coronavirus infection.
The Department of Health said that the RESU was also interviewing other returning Filipinos who recently arrived in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
“There is ongoing contact tracing of contacts up to the 3 generation for these B.1.1.7 variant cases. Samples from contacts not tested or negative on first test are being collected for PCR testing and sequencing, for eligible samples,” the Department of Health said.
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