1st Kappa variant case detected in Pampanga
THE Department of Health (DOH) said the country’s first COVID-19 Kappa variant case has been detected in Pampanga.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire revealed the country’s first case of the B.1.617.1 variant was detected in Floridablanca town and involved a 32-year-old male patient.
Vergeire added the patient exhibited mild symptoms and has already recovered from the disease.
His sample was taken in June 2. During that time, Kappa was named a variant of interest.
Last September, the World Health Organization downgraded Kappa into a variant under monitoring.
According to Vergeire, a further probe is underway regarding the country’s first B.1.617.1 variant.
“Further investigation is being done by our regional epidemiology and surveillance unit in order to gather more information on this case and there is strict monitoring of this case and the community,” she said.
Vergeire said the B.1.617.1 came from the Delta variant and is most commonly found in India.
Philippines has a total of 5,982 cases of the Delta variant.
