The Department of Health (DOH) has reported the presence of an Omicron coronavirus subvariant called BA.2.12 in the Philippines.
The first case of the BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant involved a 52-year-old Finnish woman who arrived from Finland last April 2, the DOH announced.
“The case was not required to undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic. The case then traveled to a university in Quezon City and then to Baguio City to conduct seminars. Nine days after her arrival in the country, she experienced mild symptoms such as headache and sore throat,” the DOH said in a statement.
“She then tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) the next day. Upon detection of this confirmed Covid-19 case, the local epidemiology and surveillance unit (LESU) performed contact tracing. Nine asymptomatic close contacts were identified. Two of them were tested and found to be negative,” it added.
It was also noted that the Finnish national already finished her seven-day isolation and has recovered and been discharged. She already returned to her home country on April 21.
BA.2.12 characteristics
At present, health experts are still determining the characteristics of this Omicron subvariant, the DOH noted.
“It is a sublineage of the currently circulating Omicron variant which has been recently flagged by the United States Center for Disease Control (US-CDC) to be observed in increasing Covid-19 cases in the United States from two weeks ago,” the DOH said.
“Scientists are still characterizing these Omicron sublineages in terms of transmissibility and if they can cause more severe disease. Preliminary data have shown that their mutations are associated with higher transmissibility. However, there is currently no evidence that these sublineages cause more severe disease,” it added.
BA.2.12 is not yet characterized by the World Health Organization as a new variant of interest (VOI) or variant of concern (VOC), the DOH said.
“The DOH assures the public that the country’s surveillance systems are able to detect new cases and characterize their lineage,” it added.
Avoid getting infected
The DOH reiterated its appeal to the public to strictly follow the health protocols and get vaccinated to protect themselves against the Covid-19 virus, regardless of its variants.
“The public can avoid all variants, whether new or currently circulating, by continuing to wear the best-fitting mask, isolate when sick, double-up protection through vaccination and boosters, and ensure good airflow,” it said.