City of Shanghai discovered a COVID-19 case associated with a new secondary variable Omicron BA.5.2.1, an official said at a briefing on Sunday, signal the complications China faces to catch up with new spikes as it pursues a “no COVID” policy.
Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the city’s health commission, said the case, discovered in the Pudong financial district on July 8, was related to a case from abroad.
Shanghai, in eastern China, emerged from a lockdown that lasted about two months in early June, but it has continued to impose tough restrictions, locking down buildings and compounds as soon as the lockdowns begin. New potential transmission chains emerge.
“Our city has recently continued to report many positive cases of local transmission (with COVID-19) and the risk of social transmission remains very high,” said Zhao of the Shanghai Health Commission. Hai warning.
He said residents in several major Shanghai districts will undergo two rounds of COVID tests, from July 12 to 14, in an effort to control potential new outbreaks.
The variant Omicron BA.5, which is driving the new wave of COVID-19 infections abroad, was first detected in China on May 13 in a 37-year-old male patient who flew to Shanghai from Uganda, according to the report. China Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Yuan Zhengan, a member of the city’s expert advisory group on COVID-19 prevention, said at Sunday’s briefing, the BA.5 variant has been shown to have a faster transmission rate and improved viability. escape from the immune system.
However, vaccination is still effective in preventing BA.5 from causing serious illness or death, he added.
