DAVAO CITY, January 11 (PIA) – The Department of Health XI advised the public to immediately isolate once they start experiencing flu-like symptoms. DOH XI Regional Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang, during the Usapang Pangkalusugan held last Monday, dropped tips as COVID19 cases begin to increase in the region following the holiday break. “ Our call now is for everybody to act with atmost vigilance and let’s start thinking that the Omicron variant is already here with us,” said Dr. Yumang. The Omicron variant is a kind of mutated COVID19 virus first discovered in South Africa last November 2021. Studies showed that Omicron is highly contagious and can even skip immune protection. The DOH clarified that there is no data that would differentiate symptoms of Omicron variant from the other COVID19 variants. However, common symptoms of any variant of COVID19 are fever, sore throat, and clogged nose. The DOH bared that the vaccines administered to Filipinos continue to provide protection agains