MANILA, Philippines – Wala pang naitatalang kaso ng COVID-19 strain na “Cicada,” na mayroon na sa ilang bansa sa mundo kabilang ang Estados Unidos, ayon sa Department of Health (DOH) nitong Sabado, Marso 28.
“As of March 14, 2026, there have been 60 percent fewer cases of COVID-19 than in the same monitoring period last year…337 [cases] this year [compared to] 838 in 2025 from January 4 to March 14,” sinabi ni DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo.
“Genomic sequencing for COVID-19 does not happen as frequently as before because it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). It hasn’t been for quite some time now, and as mentioned, there are 60 percent fewer cases. We have not detected any, but even if we did, it is not a cause for alarm or concern,” dagdag pa niya.
Ang strain ay unang naitala sa South Africa noong Nobyembre 2024 na mula sa Omicron lineage ng virus na nagdudulot ng respiratory disease, ayon sa World Health Organization (WHO).
Tinukoy ng WHO ang BA.3.2 COVID variant na naitala sa 23 bansa bilang variant under monitoring.
“At present, there are no clinical or epidemiological data to suggest that BA.3.2 infection is associated with increased disease severity, diagnostic failure, or reduced susceptibility to available antivirals compared with other Omicron descendent lineages,” sinabi ng WHO sa risk evaluation nito para sa Cicada strain noong Disyembre.
“Based on current evidence, BA.3.2 does not appear to pose additional public health risks beyond those associated with other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages, although its pronounced immune-escape profile warrants continued virological and epidemiological monitoring,” dagdag pa.
Nagbigay din ng kaparehong assessment ang US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“[I]n laboratory studies, the recently emerged BA.3.2 strain efficiently evades antibodies, likely because of spike protein mutations, highlighting the need for ongoing genomic surveillance and observational evaluations of vaccine and antiviral effectiveness,” saad sa report ng US CDC noong Marso 19.
Ani Domingo, ang mga virus gaya ng COVID-19 “will always have new variants every now and then, as is their nature.”
“Until and unless the WHO and other international health bodies sound an alarm, there is no cause for concern. Standard precautions and infection control and prevention measures have always been in place,” sinabi pa ni Domingo.
“The DOH is more focused now on illnesses related to the hot and dry season, as well as contingency planning for the national health system in view of the state of a national energy emergency,” dagdag niya. RNT/JGC
