Covid-19 'Second wave triggered by the 440 Filipino crew members who returned to the Philippines on February 26, 2020, after spending a month on the M/V Diamond Princess'

[ANALYSIS] A brief history of COVID-19 in the Philippines
Nicanor Austriaco OP Dec 1, 2020 3:32 PM PHT

(excerpts)

The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has recently analyzed and compared the DNA sequences for all the known genomes of SARS-CoV2 obtained from Filipino COVID-19 patients. The genome is the map of all the genes in the virus. By comparing genomes, scientists can determine a family tree for SARS-CoV2 to identify related viruses of similar origin.

Using this approach, the genome scientists at the PGC have put together the most likely family tree for the SARS-CoV2 viruses in the Philippines. This family tree, also called a viral pedigree, gives us the best history we have so far for COVID-19 in our country. I should note that the viral genomes, for the most part, were obtained from patients in Metro Manila so we do not know the complete picture for the provinces. However, NCR is the engine for the pandemic in the Philippines.

According to the genome analysis, it is likely that COVID-19 entered the Philippines 3 times. Viral samples collected in January suggest that the first wave of COVID-19 was linked to foreign visitors from China. However, this wave did not significantly impact the local pandemic in the country.

Viral samples collected in March suggest that the second wave was triggered by the 440 Filipino crew members and 5 tourists who returned to the Philippines on February 26, 2020, after spending a month on the M/V Diamond Princess, a cruise ship which experienced an outbreak of COVID-19. On the cruise ship, 712 out of 3,711 people became infected, and 14 passengers died.

Though the returning Filipino seamen from the Diamond Princess were quarantined at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac for 14 days, swab samples from patients at the Philippine General Hospital in NCR several weeks later were clearly virus infections from the cruise ship. This suggests that the local community transmission in March was linked to undetected cases of COVID-19 among the seafarers. At around the same time, the entire island of Luzon was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which lasted until June 1, 2020.

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