The nation’s first COVID-19 cases infected with the Omicron XBB and BQ.1.1 subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified among inbound travelers, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
It also said the daily caseload fell 10.2 percent from a week earlier.
Genome sequencing was conducted on 41 virus samples collected from local cases last week, and the results showed that 98 percent were infected with the Omicron BA.5 subvariant and 2 percent with BA.2, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
As the BA.5 strain now accounts for the absolute majority of local cases, the CECC would pay extra attention to the spread of emerging variants in other countries, as well as their detection among imported cases, he said.
The center also conducted genome sequencing on samples collected from 59 imported cases last week, Lo said.
Of those, 76 percent were infected with BA.5, 10 percent with BA.2.75, 7 percent with BA.2, 5 percent with BA.4.6 and 2 percent with BF.7, he said.
Lo said BF.7 is an emerging subvariant that has been causing more infections in China, Europe and the US.
It has a high transmission rate and better immune escape than other subvariants, he said.
Of the four BF.7 cases detected among inbound travelers, two were from the US, one was from France and another was from the Netherlands, he added.
Late last month, two travelers from Germany and the Netherlands were identified to have the BQ.1.1 subvariant, while a traveler from Hong Kong was identified to have the XBB subvariant, Lo said.
BF.7 and BQ.1.1 are subvariants of BA.5, he said, adding that the BQ.1.1 cases are mostly reported in Europe and the US, while the XBB subvariant is mostly reported in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, where it accounts for more than half of the local cases.
Three characteristics observed in the emerging subvariants are higher transmissibility, increased immune escape and mutations to resist monoclonal antibody therapy, he said.
“It is still difficult to predict which emerging subvariant would replace BA.5 to become the next predominant strain,” he said.
The best way to prevent infection is to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, especially as the bivalent vaccine booster is adapted for Omicron and would provide some protection against the new Omicron subvariants, Lo said.
The new subvariants have not yet been found to cause more severe illness or deaths, but people should still take preventive measures, especially if they are planning to travel abroad, he said.
CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division, said 28,806 new local infections, 41 imported cases and 53 deaths were confirmed yesterday.
The local caseload fell 10.2 percent from Monday last week, which is a good sign, but people should stay vigilant, as the local COVID-19 situation remains on a plateau, Chou said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, denied a rumor that each dose of the locally made Medigen COVID-19 vaccine cost about NT$1,000.
Commenting on speculation that an overdue fine was not imposed on Medigen for delivering vaccines more than 30 days behind schedule, Wang said the company had been fined according to its contract with the government when the doses were checked and received on March 24.
When Medigen obtained emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine last year, the Food and Drug Administration required it to submit a report on effectiveness of the vaccine based on overseas and domestic trials within a year, Wang said.
The agency has received the report, but asked for additional data, he said, adding that it would conduct a review after receiving the information.
As for the National Audit Office listing five flaws in the procurement process of COVID-19 vaccines in its report to the Legislative Yuan, including not complying with the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), Wang said the vaccines were purchased under an emergency rule according to a special act.
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