Two COVID-19 mutations of concern were detected from samples in Cebu

The current COVID-19 is always evolving with occurring mutation highly likely as it goes from person-to-person. The Department of Health (DOH) revealed that the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) have detected two of COVID-19 mutations that poses a concern in samples coming from Cebu.

Thirty seven out of 50 samples were sequenced by PCG that showed mutations E484K and N501Y of SARS-COV-2 with 29 out of the 50 samples had co-occurrence of the these two variants. This is the first two mutations of COVID-19 detected locally and according to DOH 7 spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, this mutations are actually of global concern.

The newly detected variants are highly possible that it’s not region specific by of a global scale as they seemed to be related with other variants that has increased transmissibility.

In regards to severity, the health agency doesn’t have enough data to support such notion and that it needs to study the new variants if it could cause such. However, the new variants may have played a key role on the spike of the number of cases specially in Cebu and other parts of the country.