By ANALOU DE VERA
The Department of Health (DoH) confirmed Saturday a new variant of the coronavirus called P.3 which was first found in the Philippines.
The DoH said there has been no sufficient evidence showing that the P.3 variant is a variant of concern.
In February, the Health department said two “mutations with potential clinical significance” – the N501Y and E484K – were detected in samples from Central Visayas.
“Upon verification with the Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak Lineages (PANGOLIN), the said samples with these mutations have been reassigned to the P.3 variant, belonging to the B.1.1.28 lineage, to which the P.1 (Brazil) variant also belongs,” the DOH said in a statement.
“At present, the P.3 is not identified as a variant of concern as current available data are insufficient to conclude whether the variant will have significant public health implications,” the DoH said.
The country has 98 cases of the P.3 variant so far. The Japan Ministry of Health last Friday said it detected a new coronavirus variant in a traveler from the Philippines.
The Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), in a statement posted on its website, said that the sample of the traveler from the Philippines had “E484K and N501Y mutations from a SARS-CoV-2.”
“The potential public health impact from this variant strain shall be considered to be equivalent to those from known VOCs (variants of concern) as this variant strain shares the same mutations of concern with VOCs,” the NIID said. “Thus, NIID recommends enhanced vigilance and border health measures to be implemented for this variant,” it added.
Meanwhile, the DoH announced Saturday the detection of the first case of P.1 or the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus in the country.
The DoH said the case involved a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from Brazil.
“Additional information about the case is currently being investigated,” the DoH said in a statement. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is evidence to suggest that transmissibility and the ability of antibodies generated through previous infection is affected by some mutations of this variant,” it added.
Meanwhile, 59 new cases of the B.1.1.7 variant (United Kingdom) and 32 additional cases of the B.1.351 (South African) variant were found in the country, the DoH said.
