Only 849 additional cases reported due to ‘weekly dip of testing output,’ DOH says
(Eagle News) — COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rose to 2,819,341, Department of Health data showed on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
According to the DOH, this was after only 849 additional cases were added to the total “largely due to the weekly dip of testing output due to weekend encoding of positive cases to the COVID-19 Document Repository System.”
“Last Sunday showed the lowest testing output this week,” the DOH said, noting that six laboratories had failed to submit their data.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, the DOH data showed 25464 were active.
Of these, 59.1 percent are mild, 5.9 percent are asymptomatic, 4.9 percent critical, 11.5 percent severe, and 18.61 percent are moderate.
Recoveries rose to 2,748,069 with the additional 2,393 recoveries.
The COVID-19 death toll is now at 45808, with the additional 99 deaths.
Metro Manila is under a COVID-19 alert level 2.
The DOH has said fully-vaccinated health care workers could avail of COVID-19 booster shots starting Nov. 17.
This was after various studies showed that vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 infection wanes a few months after the second dose (if the vaccine involved requires two doses) is administered.
Chinese scientists have found that the antibodies triggered by the COVID-19 Sinovac vaccine decline below a key threshold from around six months after the second dose.
Two large real-life studies by Cornell University researchers and published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed low immune response and protection responses against infection five to seven months after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
A study published in the journal Science in November found the Moderna vaccine saw a similar decline, falling to 58.0% from 89.2%, six months after the second dose.
