(Eagle News) — The country’s first Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 case had 44 close contacts, the Department of Health said on Thursday, April 28.
According to the DOH, of the 44, nine were the 52-year-old Finnish woman’s close contacts in Quezon City, five in Benguet, and 30 were fellow passengers on the plane she rode on the way to the Philippines.
The DOH has said upon arrival in the country on April 2, she did not undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and was asymptomatic.
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 woman has since recovered and returned to her country on April 21.
Reports have said the BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant appears to be 23% to 27% more transmissible than the original BA.2 Omicron subvariant, and could possibly explain the rise in cases in parts of the US, such as New England.