Indian variant feared!

WITH THE Delta variant or the Indian Covid-19 variant affecting over 100 countries now, Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco told the public anew to strictly follow health protocols, even those who were inoculated or fully vaccinated against the deadly respiratory virus. 

The Department of Health (DOH) has so far confirmed at least 17 cases of the Delta variant from returning overseas Filipino workers. Health experts warned the Delta variant is more contagious and deadlier from the original Wuhan virus which sparked a global health crisis last year. 

Climaco, head of the local Covid-19 task force, told Zamboangueños to get listed so they can be inoculated as soon as the vaccines are available. “With the discovery of Delta being the new variant of concern worldwide, people should get vaccinated and religiously observe the minimum health standards from wearing face masks, face shields to observing social distancing and hand sanitation,” she said. 

“Health experts have said that people not wearing face masks, observing physical distancing, and avoiding enclosed spaces can get the virus even during a short interaction with someone carrying the mutated variant,” the mayor added.

With these, Climaco stressed that people should get vaccinated as a protection against the virus, saying that “a dose of the vaccine is a dose of hope.” 

City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Miravite also explained that even fully-vaccinated individuals may still get infected because of emerging Covid-19 variants. However, she said vaccination will ensure protection against severe infections. 

Miravite urged residents to register online through zambocovax.com or the nearest barangay health center so they can be vaccinated as soon as Covid-19 vaccines are available. 

More Contagious 

The World Health Organization (WHO) also said the Delta variant causes more severe symptoms.

Molecular epidemiologist Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana said the Delta variant is more contagious than other Covid-19 variants. In a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on June 21, Salvana said: “The Delta variant is really very scary and this is all the more reason why we really should police our borders po kasi it only takes one variant to get in and then puwedeng mag-India-like surge po tayo kasi mataas po talaga ‘yong number of people na kayang i-infect ng isang taong mayroong Delta variant.”

“Kung ‘yong dating virus po natin ay ‘yong original virus dalawa lang po iyong nai-infect, itong Delta variant up to eight po. So it’s up to four times more contagious than the original virus from Wuhan (China) po. So this will really be a big disaster if we do not keep it out of the country po.”

With the presence of the Delta virus, Salvana said there are now four “variants of concerns” in the country - Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta - and told Duterte that stringent protocols must continue.

“Wala pa po tayong community transmission ng Gamma at Delta and we really want to keep it that way, and that is why very important po ‘yong stringent protocols natin. Iyong Delta po, as I have mentioned, is 60 percent increased transmission over Alpha or ‘yong UK variant, which has already 60 percent increased transmission over the original virus from Wuhan. So mabagsik po talaga ito. If we thought Alpha was mabagsik, ‘yong UK variant, mas mabagsik po itong Indian variant, ‘yong Delta. And, of course, there’s also the finding that ‘yong mga partially vaccinated ‘yong one dose pa lang, nahahawa pa rin po sila kasi mukhang itong Delta really needs two doses para ma-protektahan po nang maayos. Iyong one dose po is not very good at protecting against Delta,” he said.

The DOH also confirmed Salvana’s report and said the Philippines has all those Covid-19 variants - the Alpha variant or the United Kingdom variant; the Beta variant, also known as the South African variant; and Theta variant or the Philippine variant.

Vaccines

The national government’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said it will send more Covid-19 vaccines to Zamboanga City in an effort to further augment and support the local government’s response to the pandemic.

Climaco, who already signed a $2 million (or roughly P100 million) deal with the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, said the local government’s vaccination program will cover 694,696 residents or 70% of the projected 2021 population of 992,423 inhabitants.

The initial P200 million for the purchase of the vaccines are included in the P4.38-billion 2021 Executive Budget of the local government, according to Climaco, who said the vaccines are expected to arrive during the 3^rd quarter of the year.

Over 60,000 people here received their first jab while some 17,500 had been fully inoculated, according to health records. 

The DOH has prioritized those under the A1, A2 and A3 categories in the government mass vaccination program. A1 refers to workers in frontline services; A2 are the senior citizens and A3 are those with comorbidity or those with more than one disease or condition which is present in the same person at the same time. (Jasmine Mohammadsali, Zamboanga Post)

Like Us on Facebook: The Mindanao Examiner
Like Us on Facebook: The Zamboanga Post
Follow Us on Twitter: Mindanao Examine
Mirror Site: Mindanao Examiner Blog
Digital Archives: Mindanao Examiner Digital
Media Rates: Advertising Rates