DOH confirms first case of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 in PH

The Philippines has detected its first case of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Wednesday.

In a statement, the DOH said the case involved a 52-year-old female traveler who arrived from Finland on April 2.

The agency said the patient was not required to undergo facility quarantine as she was fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic.

The patient went to a university in Quezon City and also proceeded to Baguio City, according to the DOH.

As of Today, April 28, 2022, up to 44 people were the close contact of the first recorded case of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 in the Philippines, according to Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Nine of them were in Quezon City, five in Benguet, while 30 were on a plane bound for Manila.

This new variant- Omicron BA.2.12.1, is also the reason behind the sudden spike in cases in the US.

New Omicron BA.2.12.1 Sub-Variant - All You Need To Know

1. The BA.2.12.1 sub-lineage of the highly virulent Omicron variant of COVID-19 is more contagious than the previous strains.
2. BA.2.12.1 is causing a surge in cases in the USA.
3. It has a growth advantage of about 30% to 90% per week over BA.2 (Omicron).
4. BA.2.12.1 has the L452Q mutation also seen in Delta but not in BA.2.