COVID-19

Rappler Talk: What Omicron BA.5 means for PH’s pandemic response

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Rappler Talk: What Omicron BA.5 means for PH’s pandemic response
On Tuesday, July 19, Rappler's pandemic reporter Bonz Magsambol speaks to infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante about the BA.5 subvariant. Bookmark this page to watch the interview at 4 pm.

MANILA, Philippines – COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are on the rise again.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire attributed the current increase in cases to the entry of Omicron subvariants, increased patterns of mobility, and the waning immunity due to the slow uptake of boosters.

The country has detected cases of BA.2.12BA.2.12.1BA.4, and BA.5. All of these Omicron offshoots are causing alarm due to a spike in cases worldwide. But of these subvariants, BA.5 is the most dominant subvariant in several regions.

So far, the country has recorded a total of 293 BA.5 cases. Coronavirus cases worldwide have now been rising for four weeks in a row, data from the World Health Organization showed.

What do we know about BA.5? And what does it mean for the Philippines’ pandemic response?

On Tuesday, July 19, Rappler’s pandemic reporter Bonz Magsambol speaks to infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante about the BA.5 subvariant. Bookmark this page or head over to Rappler’s social media accounts to watch the interview at 4 pm. – Rappler.com

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