Brace for Omicron XE variant arrival, expert says
A health expert is urging the Philippines to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the rising Omicron XE variant.
EpiMetrics epidemiologist Dr. John Q. Wong explained that “XE is a recombinant of Omicron sub-variants BA.1 and BA.2. It’s still a variant under monitoring, not a variant of concern.”
He added that the new variant is “10% more transmissible than BA.2 but because of the small numbers, scientists still can’t tell if it has immune escape properties.” Immune escape refers to a mutation that allows a virus to resist vaccines.
Recombinant variants — including XE — have so far not been found in the country. However, the Department of Health (DOH) said that they are already preparing for its possible arrival by promoting booster vaccination to the public.
To control a possible spread, Wong recommended masking and social distancing. He added that these two methods should be complemented with good ventilation.
Additionally, the epidemiologist recommended using a filter with a minimum efficiency reporting value of 13, or a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor as a proxy for estimating the risk for infection.
“We’re in a better place than two years ago … Just the same, we need to control spread,” Dr. Wong concluded.
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