'Regardless of variant, a Covid case should be a cause of alarm' - PHO Tandingan

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Provincial Health Officer Edward Tandingan warned that all COVID-19 cases, may it be variant or not, should cause the “highest degree of alarm” thus, the public must always strictly adhere to the minimum public health standards (MPHS) and get vaccinated once given the chance.

Tandingan reiterated this following the report of the Provincial Information Office on the supposed second case of South African variant (B.1.351) in Kalinga.

The Provincial Health Officer clarified that the “latest B.1.351 seems not to be from Kalinga and that the team is still verifying with the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of its source.

“Nonetheless, all steps for reported ‘variants of concern’ (VOCs) are taken,” Tandingan assured.

The Provincial Health Officer described the South African variant as one of the VOCs that has higher transmissibility compared to the original Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first discovered in Wuhan, China.

Tandingan added that “of the very many variants that arise from mutations of the original SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, some raised concern because of certain attributes, particularly increased transmissibility, increased ability to cause serious illness, decreased response to antibodies produced from vaccination - to name a few.”

The health officer stressed that the same high degree of compliance to MPHS is needed to prevent COVID-19 and all variants, adding vaccination against COVID-19 should be availed when it is the turn of the individuals to be provided by the service.

Minimum health standards include the proper use of face masks, face shields, and physical distancing in public places.

As of writing, Kalinga province recorded 21 UK variants (B.1.1.7), 1 South African variant as the latest is yet to be verified.

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