Philippines reports first two Omicron sub-variant BA.5 cases
Another Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been detected in the Philippines as two cases were found in Central Luzon, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
"We were able to detect the BA.5 variant in the country based on the May 31 report of the Philippine Genome Center," said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in an online media forum.
"Two individuals from the same household in Region 3 were detected positive with the BA.5 variant," she added.
The DOH said the two detected BA.5 cases are one female in her late 30s, and one male in his early 50s. They were asymptomatic and tagged as recovered.
Vergeire said both individuals have unknown exposure to the virus subvariant. They have no travel history except when they voted in the elections and reported for work in the National Capital Region (NCR), she added.
She noted that the two showed colds and cough as symptoms but are fully-vaccinated.
She added that there were two close contacts from the same household.
"They are undergoing isolation with one testing positive, while the other was negative," said Vergeire. DMS
