Be ready for new Omicron subvariants – health expert

On Monday, a public health specialist cautioned that new transmissible COVID-19 Omicron subvariants are on the way.

"These lineages or subvariants aren't caused for alarm." Dr. Rontgene Solante indicated during the Laging Handa public briefing that BA.4, which originated in South Africa, and BA.2.12.1 are becoming the most common strains in the United States.

"We have two highly transmissible lineages that can evade vaccine protection," he said, emphasizing the importance of "watching now." BA.4 was found in a Filipino from the Middle East, and BA.2.12.1 was found in Palawan and Metro Manila.

According to Solante, a spike may be averted if patients continued to use face masks and received booster doses as soon as possible.

UPDATE

The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 1,214 COVID-19 cases from May 16 to 22, up 9.9% from the previous week.

Carlito Galvez Jr., the country's vaccination czar, has COVID-19 and is in isolation. He is symptom-free and will continue to supervise the vaccination programme.

According to cardiology and internal medicine specialist, the departments of health and science and technology may have "fallen into the trap" of ignoring favorable data on the antiparasitic drug ivermectin and focusing on its lack of efficacy against COVID-19.

"Ivermectin is a matter of perspective," says the author. In response to the government's decision to end ivermectin clinical trials, Rafael Castillo stated, "Effective medications not provided at the correct dose, duration, and sickness phase would not exhibit their full efficacy."

According to Castillo, who writes a weekly health column for the Philadelphia Inquirer, more ivermectin trials demonstrated efficacy than those that didn't.

He highlighted a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Therapeutics that emphasized the drug's effectiveness and safety.