Entry Of New Coronavirus Strain May Add To Philippines' Burden

The Philippines, which has enforced one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world, is still struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19. Now, the presence of a more infectious strain, which is the most dominant type of the virus circulating worldwide, is making matters worse for the Asian country.

Geneticists at the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) have confirmed that this mutation, called "D614G", is replacing the former D614 strain as the dominant coronavirus type in the Philippines.

The geneticists said coronavirus samples collected in June confirm the presence of both D614 and D614G in a small sample of positive cases. They said the information confirms the presence of D614G in the Philippines, but noted all the samples tested were from Quezon City (to the north of Manila) "and may not represent the mutational landscape for the whole country."

The researchers also said data from an in vitro study suggest viruses with the D614G mutation appear to have higher levels of viral RNA and higher titers of pseudoviruses. They confirm D614G is now the dominant viral state, and "can increase the viral rate of transmission" among Filipinos.

Initial international studies suggest D614G is more infectious than D614 but not deadlier. In infected individuals, D614G "is associated with lower RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) cycle thresholds, suggestive of higher upper respiratory tract viral loads, although not with increased disease severity," according to a study published July 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Cell.

A separate study from Scripps Research in Florida and published last June said the mutation into Spike D614G “enhances viral transmission.”

In other countries, the D614G mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has almost completely replaced D614, making it the most dominant coronavirus strain circulating globally. The mutation affects the spike protein or the structure that the virus uses to get into the cells it infects.

The Philippines now has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia. It reported 161,253 cases and 2,665 deaths as of Sunday, based on Worldometer data. The Philippines has the 21st highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world and the 32nd highest number of deaths.

The casualties inflicted by COVID-19 on this country have been spectacular. On Feb. 12, the Philippines had only three confirmed cases -- all of them mainland Chinese visitors -- and a single death, who was a Chinese man from Wuhan on vacation.

Cases in the Philippines skyrocketed in July and far exceeded the forecast of 60,000 cases for the month estimated by a group of scientists. This group also estimated 100,000 cases by the end of August. The total now stands at 161,253.

The government of President Rodrigo Duterte still has to craft a national plan to deal with the raging pandemic. The Philippines has the world's longest running lockdown. Filipinos have labored under varying degrees of stay-at-home restrictions for 156 days.