Additional 18 Cases of Omicron Sublineage BA.2.12.1 and Others Confirmed Domestically (Supplement)

BA.2.12.1 13 cases, BA.4 1 case, BA.5 4 cases

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The sublineages of the Omicron variant, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5, have been additionally confirmed in South Korea.

On the 24th, the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that 13 cases of BA.2.12.1, 1 case of BA.4, and 4 cases of BA.5 were newly detected, bringing the total confirmed cases to 32 for BA.2.12.1, 2 for BA.4, and 6 for BA.5.

The newly confirmed BA.2.12.1 cases include 10 imported cases and 3 domestic infections. Among the 13 individuals, 12 had completed at least three doses of vaccination, and 1 was unvaccinated.

The single BA.4 case, which is currently spreading in South Africa, was imported from the United States. The individual tested positive upon arrival on the 14th and had completed the third dose of vaccination.

For BA.5, there was 1 imported case and 3 domestic infections, with all four individuals having completed at least three doses of vaccination.

BA.2.12.1 is known to be over 20% more transmissible than BA.2, which is known as stealth Omicron. BA.4 and BA.5 are spreading rapidly, and research suggests they may have immune evasion capabilities. However, the impact of these three variants on disease severity has not yet been determined.

Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Division at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "There is no unusual trend indicating active community transmission of these Omicron sublineages at this time," and added, "So far, no reinfection cases have been reported within these sublineages or recombinant variants."

Meanwhile, in the United States, where the BA.2.12.1 variant accounted for 47.4% as of the 14th, the number of confirmed cases has been increasing for seven consecutive weeks. In South Africa, where BA.4 and BA.5 variants exceed 90% prevalence, cases have increased for four consecutive weeks, and the number of deaths has also been on the rise over the past two weeks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.