The Philippines has detected two new cases of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, the so-called “Kraken” subvariant being the most transmissible form of COVID-19, raising its tally to three, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
The country also detected its first case of Omicron subvariant XBF, which is linked to the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Australia and Sweden.
Both subvariants are classified by the World Health Organization as subvariants under monitoring.
The XBF is a recombinant sublineage of BA.5.2.3 and CJ.1 (BA.2.75.3 sublineage), which was initially flagged for its increasing prevalence and had been associated with recent case increases in Australia and Sweden, the DOH said.
A recent wastewater analysis revealed that XBF accounted for about 55 percent of total cases detected in Victoria, Australia.
Preliminary studies also showed that many of Australia’s antiviral treatments against COVID-19 were no longer effective against multiple Omicron subvariants circulating in the country, including XBF.
“However, currently available evidence for XBF does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original omicron variant,” the DOH report read.
“Currently, the subvariant is still reported under omicron by the WHO and will remain classified under Omicron until sufficient evidence arises showing that the virus characteristics are significantly different from Omicron,” it added.
The DOH said the XBF sample was collected in December 2022 and was sequenced on Jan. 28, 2023.
Out of 69 samples sequenced by health authorities February 7-9, 26 were classified as XBB (including 2 cases classified as XBB.1.5), 10 as BA.2.3.20, 3 as BA.5 (including one case classified as BQ.1), 2 as BA.2.75, 1 case as XBC, and 20 as other omicron sublineages.
Of the 26 XBB cases, one case was classified as a returning overseas Filipino and the rest were local cases from Regions 2, 3, 4A, 7, 10, 11, and NCR (including two cases classified as XBB.1.5), the DOH said.
All additional BA.2.3.20 cases were local cases from Regions 1, 2, 4A, 9, 11, CAR, and NCR. Meanwhile, out of 3 reported BA.5 cases, two cases were ROFs and 1 was a local case from Region 1 (including one case classified as BQ.1).
The two recently detected BA.2.75 cases were classified as ROFs while the XBC case was a local case from Region 11, the agency added.
The first patient with XBB.1.5 has already recovered after experiencing mild symptoms of the disease, the DOH said.
Also on Wednesday, the DOH said it is closely monitoring the developments regarding Marburg virus disease.
The DOH made the statement after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea.
“Rest assured that the DOH through the Epidemiology Bureau continues to provide surveillance and monitoring activities of emerging diseases,” the DOH said on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
“At present, there is no current risk assessment provided by WHO and the global risk of the Marburg virus disease is low,” it added.
The Marburg virus belongs to the same virus family that causes Ebola, said the DOH, adding that both diseases “are known to cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans.”
