The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday announced that the country has reported its first case of COVID-19 Omicron sub variant BA.4, which is tagged as a “variant of concern.”
in a statement, the DOH said it detected the subvariant in a Filipino citizen who flew from the Middle East on May 4. The patient was asymptomatic, according to the health department.
The BA.4 is seen to be a highly transmissible subvariant of Omicron and a “variant of concern” because of its “ability to evade immune protection” even from vaccination, especially after such protection from the doses of immunization have already waned, the DOH added.
The DOH said the specimen from the patient, which turned out to be positive for the subvariant, was collected on May 8.
The health department added it is now coordinating with appropriate local government units.
“DOH has been coordinating with the concerned LGUs since the confirmation of the case to rapidly implement detection and isolation activities as part of the PDITR response.”