Covid-19 variants BA.5.2 detected locally since March 16, BF.7 since Aug 21

Two Omicron variants of Covid-19, namely BA.5.2 and BF.7, which makes up about 80 percent of the variants currently infecting China, have been detected in Malaysia since March 16 and Aug 21 last year, respectively.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the first case of BF.7 detected on Aug 21 was a case of local infection, while the second on Sept 6 was a case of imported infection from Turkiye, and the third on Oct 7 was another case of local infection.