The Iloilo City Government has recorded its first case of the more contagious Delta COVID-19 variant.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (“CESU”) reported during a meeting with the city’s COVID Team, Thursday, July 29, 2021, that the case is an employee of a company in Molo district.
What is Delta?
Delta is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain. It is a new mutation of the virus and it might be even stronger. It was first identified in India in December 2020. It has swept rapidly through India and Great Britain. The first Delta case in the United States was diagnosed in March and it is now the dominant strain in the U.S. Today, July 29, 2021, Iloilo City records its first active Delta Variant Case.
About the patient
“This is a case who tested positive in July 9, and continues to be positive during repeat testing on July 23,” Treñas said.
The 30-year-old male got himself tested at the Western Visayas Medical Center (“WVMC”) after experiencing influenza-like illness. His samples were taken to the Philippine Genome Center (“PGC”) for sequencing because of high viral load.
The CESU received the report on the sequenced sample via email today from the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau.
He claims to have no travel history, and no close contact in his workplace. The patient has not been vaccinated.
The patient’s wife, who was swabbed on July 12, was also tested positive.
The couple are currently on strict home quarantine. Their three minor children were tested negative and are currently staying with relatives.
Treñas ordered to place the residence and workplace under lockdown. Extensive contact tracing and RT-PCR testing for the patient’s co-workers will also be conducted.
“As this is a Delta variant case, we will transfer the case to a separate quarantine facility so we can fully monitor him,” he said.
The mayor assured that the City Government has put in place measures to handle the Delta variant.
“We just ask for everyone’s cooperation as we are doing everything we can to contain its possible spread, including aggressive contact tracing and intensified testing,” he added.
Vaccination is the best protection against Delta
According to yalemedicine.org, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from Delta is to get fully vaccinated. At this point, that means if you get a two-dose vaccine, you must get both shots and then wait the recommended two-week period for those shots to take full effect.
People who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are most at risk. The local government units are in full support of the vaccination programs. In Iloilo City, as of July 27, 2021, there are more than 73,000 or 16% of the population of the city is now vaccinated. This is already a big progress but still a little too far from the 70% herd immunity target.
Grab the opportunity given to get vaccinated. Be mindful and filter the fake news about it. Listen and read credible sources and make a sound decision. You hold the protection to yourself and the safety of the people around you.
More importantly, whether or not you are vaccinated, it remains important to follow prevention guidelines that are available for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. (With reports from Iloilo City PIO and Yale Medicine)
