DOH says first case also traveled to QC
(Eagle News) — The COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12 has been detected in Baguio City, the Department of Health announced on Wednesday, April 27.
According to the DOH, the sublineage was detected in a 52-year-old Finnish female who arrived in the country on April 2.
The DOH said the patient was not required to undergo routine isolation in a quarantine facility because she was asymptomatic and was fully vaccinated.
She then traveled to a university in Quezon City and then to Baguio City to conduct seminars.
According to the DOH, she experienced mild symptoms such as headache and sore throat nine days after her arrival in the country.
She tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.
The DOH said the Local Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit has identified nine asymptomatic close contacts after contact tracing, two of whom turned out negative for the virus.
The patient, who has since recovered, returned to her country on April 21.
According to the DOH, preliminary data has shown that Omicron sublineages such as BA.2.12 show that their mutations are associated with higher transmissibility.