Additional Domestic COVID-19 Variants Detected... 34 Cases Including 28 of BA.2.12.1 (Update)

A total of 60 cases of BA.2.12.1, 6 cases of BA.4, and 8 cases of BA.5 confirmed so far

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] An additional 34 cases of detailed sublineage variants of the COVID-19 Omicron have been confirmed in South Korea.

On the 31st, the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that 28 cases of BA.2.12.1, 4 cases of BA.4, and 5 cases of BA.5 were detected domestically and are under epidemiological investigation. This brings the total confirmed cases in South Korea to 60 for BA.2.12.1, 6 for BA.4, and 8 for BA.5.

The newly confirmed BA.2.12.1 cases include 23 imported and 5 domestic cases. The imported cases were arrivals from the United States, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, and Croatia. Among the two cases imported from the United States, both were unvaccinated, while the others have completed at least three doses or their vaccination status is being verified.

Of the 4 BA.4 cases, 3 were imported and 1 was domestic. The imported cases came from South Africa, Ethiopia, and Pakistan, respectively.

For BA.5, both cases were imported, one each from South Africa and the United States.

In the United States, where the proportion of Omicron subvariants is increasing, COVID-19 cases have risen for eight consecutive weeks. As of the 21st, the BA.2.12.1 share in the U.S. was 57.9%. In the third week of this month, the weekly COVID-19 cases in the U.S. increased by 18.2% compared to the previous week, reaching 713,882 cases.

South Africa, where cases and deaths had been rising due to the spread of BA.4 and BA.5, showed a decline in the past week. In the third week of this month, cases decreased by 23.9% to 39,203 compared to the previous week, and deaths dropped by 24.9% to 178 during the same period. The BA.4 and BA.5 share in South Africa is 96%.

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