MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health announced on Tuesday that Omicron is now the predominant COVID-19 variant in the Philippines.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Vergeire, Omicron’s sublineage BA.1 and BA.2 have been detected in the Philippines. The ‘stealth’ BA.2 variant is present in most regions of the country. The BA.1 variant has been detected in eight regions, it is the most common variant among returning OFWs.
Vergeire pointed out that BA.1 and BA.2 had no significant difference in clinical presentation.
The ‘stealth’ Omicron variant has been detected in 49 countries. The UK Health Security Agency is investigating as rising cases are attributed to it.