Active case finding pushed as Delta variant spreads in N. Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (BukidnonNews.Net/September 11, 2021) Active case finding or aggressive community testing has been recommended in areas where COVID-19 variants of concern has been reported, an official of a unit of the Department of Health-10 said.

Jasper Kent M. Ola, nurse-epidemiologist at the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit of DOH-10, said there is a need to pursue targeted testing in identified areas and third generation contact tracing of all confirmed cases. All close contacts of the confirmed cases should be placed in a quarantine facility, he said in a virtual press conference recently.

The Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit also reported on September 1 that there are now a total of 139 cases of Alpha, Beta and Delta variants in Northern Mindanao.

Of the number, 16 were of the Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7), 35 of the Beta Variant (B.1.351) and 84 of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2).

Ola also recommended the conduct of RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction) at the end of isolation or quarantine. He said there is also a need to ensure immediate submission of eligible samples for WGS (Whole Genome Sequence and prioritize active cases.

Covid-19 cases has increased rapidly in Bukidnon recently with a total of 13 cases were confirmed to be of the Delta Variant, according to a report from the Department of Health (DOH)-X released on September 1, 2021.

The results were confirmed to be Delta variant from the samples delivered to UP-Manila for Genome Testing.

Based on the report, four were from Malaybalay City, two from Valencia City, two each from the municipality of Baungon and Manolo Fortich, and one each from Talakag, Don Carlos and Quezon towns. 

As of September 1, 961 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Region 10. Of the number, 530 cases were reported from Bukidnon, 172 from Cagayan De Oro, 132 from Misamis Oriental, 67 from Iligan City, 31 from Misamis Occidental, 16 from Camiguin, and 13 from Lanao Del Norte.

Malaybalay City has implemented the use of Home Quarantine Pass and the establishment of Barangay Quarantine Control Points, again.

The first Delta variant case reported in Bukidnon was in Talakag town on July 15, 2021 and in Malaybalay City on August 15, 2021. Both cases have already recovered.

No one was reported dead of the 13 cases reported from Bukidnon. Two cases were reported to have died in Cagayan de Oro and one in Gingoog City, as of September 1, 2021. (Sean Sulugan with a report from Malaybalay City/BukidnonNews.Net)

IN PHOTO: Folks go through the queue in a vaccination site in Maramag, Bukidnon. File photo by Ron Christopher G. Neri/BukidnonNews.Net