MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Tuesday the detection of flagged Omicron subvariants, including KP.2, in the Philippines. Despite this, the DOH emphasized that the increase in cases remains slow, and the country’s COVID-19 risk is low.
Recent sequencing by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center identified two cases of KP.2, two cases of JN.1.18, and 30 cases of JN.1.
“Their detection, along with the slow increase in the number of new cases and the plateau in the number of occupied COVID-19 beds, aligns with the international observation that the new variants under monitoring continue to be clinically mild and manageable,” the DOH stated.
Currently, four COVID-19 variants are under monitoring: JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP.3.
The so-called “FLiRT” variants of COVID-19, which include KP.2 and KP.3, appear to be contributing to a rising wave of cases globally. However, there is no evidence that KP.2 and KP.3 cause severe or critical COVID-19, either in the Philippines or internationally.
Health spokesperson Albert Domingo noted that the earliest collection date for KP.2 was May 2024. “It may be likely that there are earlier KP.2 cases, but because of limited sequencing, we have not detected and reported this earlier,” Domingo told reporters.
Low Hospital Occupancy The Philippines reported an average of only 319 COVID-19 cases daily for the week of May 21 to 27. This figure was higher than the previous week’s 202 cases but still less than half of the approximately 500 daily cases reported at the start of the year and around 1,750 per day in mid-May 2023.
Data from the DOH showed that hospital occupancy for COVID-19 patients remains low. Only 14% of 1,235 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 15% of 10,910 non-ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients were occupied.
There were only 185 severe and critical cases admitted, accounting for 10% of the country’s total COVID-19 hospital admissions. The DOH also recorded 20 deaths due to COVID-19, with five occurring in the recent two weeks.
The department urged the public to continue practicing preventive measures: proper mask-wearing, frequent handwashing, avoiding crowded spaces, and ensuring good ventilation.
“Similar to the ministries of health of other countries, the DOH still does not see any need for travel restrictions, especially as these may impair the flow of other essential health goods and services,” the DOH stated.