What’s new: The Chinese mainland has reported its first imported case of BA.2.12.1, a recently detected subvariant of omicron considered to be more immune-resistant and transmissible than the others in circulation.
The patient, a 27-year-old Chinese man who had been vaccinated, arrived in the southern province of Guangdong on flight KQ880 from Kenya’s capital Nairobi, according to a report published Monday by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).
Arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on April 23, the man and his fellow passengers were transferred to a hotel for 14 days of medical quarantine, said the report in China CDC Weekly, a national public health bulletin.
The patient was confirmed to have the new omicron subvariant on April 30 after testing positive for Covid-19 during quarantine, the report said. The man denied being in contact with anyone who had suffered from Covid in the past 14 days, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the report added.
The background: The variant has been detected in at least 23 countries and regions, including the U.S. and Hong Kong, according to the World Health Organization, which called on countries around the world to monitor the development closely.
Compared to other omicron variants, BA.2.12.1 showed stronger immune escape, even for those who had received booster shots, the report said. Several studies have shown that its transmissibility is about 23% to 27% faster than the BA.2 omicron subvariant, which has triggered recent local outbreaks in China, according to the report.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
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