Philippines heading for trouble under own variant COVID-19 surge

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The Philippines reported 33 cases of a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus the VUI-21MAR-02 (P3), on 9 March 2021.

He had the Sinovac jab on 4 March 2021. The Filipino healthcare worker, “died of COVID-19, and not from the coronavirus vaccine that he had received,” the Philippines Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday, trying to put an optimistic spin on things after President Duterte blasted Vice President Leni Robredo for criticizing the Sinovac makers.

by Micheal John and Melissa Hemingway

 

Rodrigo Duterte greets China-Aid flight Rodrigo Duterte greets China-Aid flight with 600,000 jabs of Sinovac’s CoronaVac from China. Philippines population exceeds 110 million. Photo Credit: Presidential Communications

A volunteer in Peru’s trial of a coronavirus vaccine produced by China’s Sinopharm Group Co Ltd has also reportedly died from COVID-19-related pneumonia.

“Personally, I do not buy the argument that since they are donated, we do not need any positive recommendation from the HTAC. Because whether those were donated or bought, we still need to protect our fellow Filipinos. What does it take to simply get a positive recommendation?  I’m not saying that Sinovac is bad. I’m just saying that it should go through a process so that we’re sure that we are protected, said VP Robredo on a radio  show.

Three Filipinos test positive for COVID-19 after being inoculated. Second dose is required. Three patients are doing well.

In Manila, transmission hovers above R1.8 and test positivity is over 9.15%.

. At least 600,000 CoronaVac doses had arrived from China and 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca were dispatched by the COVAX facility, and more are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks.

A few elderly Hong Kongers had died after receiving Sinovac’s drug, while there are fears that AstraZeneca causes blood clotting. Despite this, the Philippine government said that both vaccines are safe and continue to use them in its inoculation program.

Since 9 March, the Philippines strain has surfaced in the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Public Health England said, “The variant includes a number of notable mutations including E484K and N501Y, which are found in several other variants of concern. Public Health England has identified two cases of this variant in England.  One of the cases is linked with international travel and the other is currently under investigation. All appropriate public health interventions are being undertaken,” said the statement.

VUI-21MAR-02 (P3) (Under investigation)  May be driving the incipient surge. It is a Made in the Philippines featuring notable mutations including E484K a nd N501Y, which are found in several other variants of concern.

Philippines dailies 5,290 new cases in one day is the record this week so far.

23000 deaths by May despite very slow testing The Philippines is climbing higher and faster than what was expected.

5 Oct 2024