DR. BRYAN CEPEDOZA
RADIO INTERVIEW
(NEWSMAKERS-MAY 17, 2023)
FOR MAY 21, 2023
A Question & Answer Session
with Dr. Bryan Cepedoza
regarding the new COVID-19 variant
(Part 1)
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Our conversation now, Dr.
Bryan, will first focus on the increasing cases of Covid
positive patients within the province. Reports say that
the number of cases of Covid positive patients is
increasing. What can you say about this?
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza (DBC): This is true. We have a
new variant now and the efficacy of the vaccines we
previously had is waning, therefore, our protection from
this new virus is being lessened. This new variant that is
present is not afraid of the original vaccines we had. Our
original vaccines were monovalent. The present variant
is resistant to those monovalent vaccines. So we need a
bivalent kind of vaccine.
TBT: What is meant by a monovalent vaccine? What is
meant by a bivalent vaccine?
DBC: A monovalent vaccine is a vaccine with one strain
of a virus while a bivalent vaccine is a vaccine with two
strains of a virus. Many different vaccines have both
monovalent and bivalent versions, including flu vaccines
and COVID-19 vaccines.
TBT: Will you please elaborate, Dr. Bryan?
DBC: Ok. From a medical point of view, a monovalent
vaccine is a vaccine that is having a chemical valence of
one: containing antibodies specific for or antigens of a
single strain of a microorganism. Bivalent Covid-19
vaccines are those that include a component of the
original virus strain to provide broad protection against
COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to
provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by
the omicron variant.
TBT: So there is a new COVID variant in the
Philippines, now?
DBC: Yes. The Philippines has detected its first case of
Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, and this was detected in
Western Visayas according to the Department of Health.
This subvariant is also known as Arcturus and it has
now been detected in 33 countries.
TBT: The increasing trend of COVID positive cases is
all over the country. In Bohol, the increase is almost 300
per cent. Why is this so, Dr. Bryan?
DBC: The country is noticing an increase in COVID-19
cases since more people are already going out into the
open and they seem to not mind anymore the positive
cases here. Our economy has continued to reopen and
despite the rise in infections, the country’s healthcare
untilization rates remain low. This is what the
Department of Health (DOH), says.
TBT: What are the symptoms of this new variant?
DBC: The DOH advisory clarified that in general,
COVID-19 exhibits flu-like symptoms such as fever,
cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat,
headache, body pain, and diarrhea, among others.
(TO BE CONTINUED)