First imported Omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant case found in Guangzhou

Details about China's first imported case of the new Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 were released in an article published on Monday by the China CDC Weekly.

Compared with other Omicron variants, the BA.2.12.1 subvariant appears more immune-resistant, even for those who are vaccinated and have received a booster shot.

According to the report, on April 23 a flight from Nairobi, Kenya, arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in southern Guangdong Province.

All passengers were transferred to a quarantine hotel for 14 days of medical observation and nucleic acid testing.

A vaccinated 27-year-old Chinese man who denied being around anyone with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days tested positive on April 27 and was transferred to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital for treatment.

Three days later, a nasal swab sample showed he was infected with the BA.2.12.1 subvariant.

On May 4, the World Health Organization beckoned countries around the world to closely monitor this new subvariant. Several studies have concluded its transmissibility is 23 to 27 percent faster than the BA.2 subvariant.

The new subvariant has led to a COVID-19 resurgence in many parts of the United States, and cases have been reported in at least 17 countries.