'BA.2.12.1', a detailed phylogenetic mutation of Omicron, which is said to have a diffusion rate of more than 20% faster than BA.2, called 'stealth omicron', was confirmed for the first time in Korea.
The Central Defense Countermeasures Headquarters announced at a briefing today (3rd) that one case of Omicron 'BA.2.12.1' was confirmed for the first time in Korea as an imported case.
The patient arrived from the United States on the 16th of last month and was confirmed on the 17th of the same month.
She is a woman in her 50s, identified as having completed her third dose.
To date, she has not experienced any clinically unusual circumstances.
'BA.2.12.1', which is spreading in the United States, is a sub-phylogenetic mutation reclassified from BA.2.
Since it was first detected in the United States in December of last year, it has been confirmed in at least 15 countries.
On the 29th of last month, two people were confirmed in Singapore.
BA.2 is considered to have 30% higher propagation power than the existing Omicron, and BA.2.12.1 is estimated to show a 23~27% faster detection increase rate than BA.2.
The amino acid mutation was confirmed to be 31, two more than BA.2, suggesting that it may affect transmission power and immune evasion.
Quarantine authorities explained that there was no evidence to influence the severity.
Park Young-joon, head of the epidemiological investigation team at Bang Dae-bon, explained, "We are investigating suspected infections from close contacts equivalent to those who live with us.
Meanwhile, Bang Dae-bon revealed that today, one additional case of recombination mutation XE and one case of XM have been confirmed and epidemiological investigations are underway.
The cases were confirmed on the 9th and 17th of last month, respectively.
(Photo = Yonhap News)