Seafarer, 2 other Delta variant carriers die - DOH

Seafarer, 2 other Delta variant carriers die - DOH
Katrina Domingo, Jul 19 2021 https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/19/21/seafarer-2-other-delta-variant-ca...

MANILA - The Department of Health on Monday confirmed that 3 Filipinos have died after contracting the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The latest casualty was a 58-year old female from Pandacan, Manila who died on June 28, Health spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters in a text message.

The two other deceased are a 78-year-old female from Baybay, Antique who died on May 30, and a 63-year old male MV Athens crew member who died on May 19, she said.

All Delta variant carriers in the Philippines have been "again tested and quarantined," Vergeire said.LINK

"All delta variant cases are immediately re-assessed to determine their current clinical, laboratory, and isolation status. They shall be swabbed for repeat RT-PCR at end of their isolation or upon determination that they were positive for the Delta variant." she said.

"They shall remain in isolation while awaiting results. Those whose RT-PCR is negative, already asymptomatic, and have completed the minimum 10-day isolation may be discharged from isolation," she said.

The government is reviewing the contact tracing results of these cases "to identify RT-PCR positive close contacts whose samples may be eligible for sequencing," she said.

These measures were done a few days after the DOH confirmed that 11 Filipinos, who have no recent travel history, tested positive for the more contagious strain of COVID-19.

The Delta variant was found to be more contagious due to its "L452R" mutation in the spike protein, which allows the virus to easily get past the immune system and spread faster in cells.

As of the latest data, 35 Filipinos were found to have contracted the COVID-19 Delta variant, which was first detected in India.

The Philippines has yet to announce stricter quarantine and health policies to curb the potential spread of the Delta variant, which has caused a surge of infections in India and Indonesia.