Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 20) — The Department of Health (DOH) is not bent on heeding the call of an OCTA Research fellow for the resumption of random antigen testing in transportation hubs after new coronavirus variants were detected in the country.
In response to the suggestion of OCTA’s Guido David, the DOH said the more transmissible and immune-evasive Omicron subvariant XBB and variant XBC can only be detected through genome sequencing using samples collected from RT-PCR tests.
“We would not be able to detect the virus lineage from antigen samples,” it said in a statement.
In an earlier interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source, David urged the government to bring back its random antigen testing among consenting passengers in public transport, primarily in train lines, to get a bigger picture of the two new variants’ presence.
READ: OCTA on Omicron XBB, XBC variants: More testing needed, higher hospitalizations possible
However, the DOH said the public should “learn to live with the virus and continue to protect ourselves against COVID-19.”
It then urged Filipinos to receive their COVID vaccines, including booster shots.
“We continue to encourage everyone to get boosted against COVID-19 and arm ourselves with the proper knowledge and ability to assess our individual risk and consequently build our individual defenses by employing the appropriate layers of protection such as masking, physical distancing, sanitation, and ventilation as needed,” the DOH said.
On Tuesday, DOH Officer-in-Charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire said 81 Omicron XBB subvariant infections were detected in two regions, and 193 XBC variant cases were recorded in 11 regions.
The official did not specify the regions.
