Kinumpirma ng Department of Health (DOH) nitong Huwebes na wala pang na-detect na kaso ng Omicron subvariant XBB sa bansa.
Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ng DOH na ang XBB variant ay recombinant ng BJ.1 (BA.2.10.1 sublineage) at BM.1.1.1 (BA.2.75 sublineage).
Base anila sa isinagawang preliminary studies, lumilitaw na ang naturang sublineage ay nakitaan ng ‘higher immune evasion ability’ kumpara sa BA.5.
“As of October 13, we have not detected the said variant in the Philippines,” anang DOH.
“The DOH, in partnership with our local sequencing facilities, is continuously conducting surveillance to monitor the importation of this variant and other emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants,” dagdag pa nito. (Philip Reyes)
