The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that the more contagious corona variant from the United Kingdom has already been detected in the Philippines.
Such confirmation was announced after samples of a Filipino aboard a plane from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 07 produced positive results.
According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the patient is 29 years of age and hales from Kamuning, Quezon City. He flew to Dubai for business purposes on the 27th of December last year and flew back to the country on the 7th of January, aboard Emirates Flight No. EK 332.
Upon his arrival, he was swabbed and quarantined in a hotel, as per SOP. The results were released on the next day and with the positive outcome, the patient was arranged to be transferred to a quarantine facility in Quezon City. His samples were forwarded to PCG for whole genome sequencing.
Genome sequencing is a process that enables researchers to know how a virus has mutated based on samples obtained from patients who tested positive for Covid.
Duque confirmed that the patient has pneumonia and is being treated for it. Furthermore, the patient went on his business trip with his female partner but she has tested negative. Nevertheless, she is still under quarantine and monitoring for safety purposes.
