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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-9/covid-19-sm.webp" alt="COVID-19 G614" />
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In a recent discovery, the PGC said this dominant new strain called the G614 is found to be highly infectious than the initial version called the D614.
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Filipino researchers identified the new strain from a group of randomly selected samples in July from Quezon City.
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They said that back in June, both the mutated virus and its first version had already been detected in a small sample of COVID-19 positive cases.
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However, the researchers clarified that identifying the strain in one city did not necessarily stand for the country as a whole.  It said in a bulletin released last August 13:
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"Although this information confirms the presence of G614 in the Philippines, we note that all the samples tested were from Quezon City and may not represent the mutational landscape for the whole country." 
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Infectious Disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana earlier said the mutated version of the virus has more stern spike protein spikes, making it more prone to attach to the cells of an individual.  He said:
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"This G614 has a little more durable spike, so it's easier for it to stick to a cell although studies are still ongoing, some evidence show that it is more infectious."
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On the other hand, Salvana noted that although the virus is more prone to transmission, it is not deadlier.
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He said the new strain has now been identified by experts globally since March and has found that 95 percent of it is now seen in the world.
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As of Sunday afternoon, the COVID-19 cases in the country have reached over 161,000 with recoveries of more than 112,000 and a death toll of 2,665.
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Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DoH) on Monday announced its launch of the Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease in East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC).
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It is aimed to attend to severe and critical coronavirus cases in Metro Manila.
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EAMC Chief Dr. Alfonso Nuñez said the six-story building will have an emergency room that can accommodate up to 40 patients and an operating room with a dedicated area for labor and delivery.
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Nuñez said the building will likewise have two intensive care units (ICU) that can house up to 30 critical patients along with 10 available hemodialysis units.
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COVID-19: New strain highly infectious than the initial version of the virus is now in the Philippines