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MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, April 27, reported the country’s first case of Omicron BA.2.12, a subvariant of the highly transmissible Omicron variant which is driving a fresh surge of infections in the United States.

The case is a 52-year-old Finnish female who arrived in the country from Finland on April 2. She was not required to undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic.

The DOH said that the case had 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 a headache and sore throat.

The case has been tagged as recovered after she finished seven days of isolation. She returned to her home country on April 21.

The World Health Organization has not classified Omicron BA.2.12 as a variant of interest or variant of concern. Initial studies suggested that BA.2.12 is estimated to be 20% more transmissible than BA.2, which is the dominant subvariant of Omicron in the Philippines and the rest of the world.

There is not enough evidence yet on whether BA.2.12 can cause more severe symptoms.

“The public can avoid all variants, whether new or currently circulating, by continuing to wear the best-fitting masks, isolate when sick, double-up protection through vaccination and boosters, and ensure good airflow,” the DOH said. – Rappler.com