MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, April 4, that it was in constant coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) following a reported case of Omicron XE – a recombinant of Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 – in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Observation and monitoring are still ongoing on whether the variant would be categorized as a sub-variant of Omicron or a new variant to be named by WHO should it display any significant change in characteristics,” the DOH said in a statement.

The DOH added that the Philippine Genome Center is “continuously monitoring case trends and conducting genomic surveillance activities” amid the threat of the new and existing variants of COVID-19.

“We continue to implement our 4-door strategy to prevent initial entry of the variant to the country,” the agency said.

Four-door strategy of the government’s pandemic response includes imposition of travel restrictions from countries with reported local cases, quarantine and testing protocols from incoming travelers, implementation of Prevent, Detect, Isolation, Treat, Reintegration (PDITR) strategy, and granular lockdowns.

The first reported case of Omicron XE in Bangkok, Thailand has already recovered after developing mild symptoms.

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSCA) said that Omircon XE had a growth rate of 9.8% above that of the ‘Stealth Omicron’ or BA.2, which is the dominant Omicron subvariant in the Philippines.

Citing the UKHSCA, the Independent report said “as this estimate has not remained consistent as new data have been added, it cannot yet be interpreted as an estimate of growth advantage for the recombinant.”

The WHO has said that Omicron XE remains a subvariant of Omicron until significant differences in characteristics and transmissibility have been found.

For over a month now, the Philippines has been recording less than a thousand COVID-19 cases. Virus epicenter Metro Manila and a hundred areas in the country have been placed under Alert Level 1 until April 15.

The DOH reminded the public that vaccines, in addition to adhering to the minimum public health standards, are now more important.

“Everyone, especially our elderly, the immunocompromised, those with comorbidities, and children are highly encouraged to get vaccinated and boosted,” the DOH said. – Rappler.com