A traveler from Finland was the first case in the Philippines of the Omicron subvariant, BA.2.12. to be discovered in the country.
The 52-year-old Finnish national arrived in the Philippines on 2 April and was not required to undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic, the DOH reported.
After having travelled to Quezon City and Baguio, the woman experienced mild symptoms such as a headache and a sore throat. The report adds that at this point She then tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction the next day.” Nine people came in close contact with the lady but tested negative and the woman returned to Finland on 21 April.
The public were assured by the DOH that the surveillance systems in the Philippines can detect new cases of Omicron subvariants and characterize their lineage.
The news report said that at this point in time the BA.2.12 is not a variant of interest or concern.
