COVID-19 variant na ‘Cicada’ wala pa sa Pinas – DOH

TINIYAK ng Department of Health (DOH) na wala pa sa Pilipinas ang bagong COVID-19 variant na “Cicada” na natagpuan na sa may 24 nasyon, kabilang ang Estados Unidos.

“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,” ayon kay 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,” aniya pa.

Ayon sa World Health Organization (WHO), ang Cicada strain (BA.3.2) na unang natukoy sa South Africa noong Nobyembre 2024, ay nagmula sa Omicron lineage ng virus na nagdudulot ng respiratory disease. Iklinasipika ito ng WHO bilang COVID variant under monitoring.