Dr. Guido David, a member of the OCTA Research Group, suspects that the XBB.1.16 Omicron subvariant, also known as the Arcturus subvariant, already reached Metro Manila.
David revealed on Wednesday, April 26, that he knows a person who tested positive for the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), and experiences 'red, itchy eyes', a symptom linked to the the Arcturus subvariant.
However, David mentioned that genome sequencing has yet to confirm whether that indivdual, who the OCTA Research fellow did not name, has the Arcturus subvariant.
"Kahit hindi pa siya nagpa-genome sequencing, alam ko na most likely, ito yung Arcturus. Isa iyan sa symptoms ng Arcturus," David shared during DZRH's Magandang Umaga Pilipinas
"Wala iyon sa ibang subvariants, itong itchy eyes. Meron din siyang diarrhea, isang most likely symptom ng Arcturus," he added.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the first case of the Arcturus subvariant in the Philippines.
DOH reported on Tuesday, April 26, that genome sequencing confirmed the presence of the Arcturus subvariant in the Western Visayas region.
