SENDAI, Miyagi Pref.: A new subvariant of the omicron coronavirus variant has been discovered in the northeastern Japan city of Sendai, the city government said Thursday.

The new subvariant was found for the first time at least in Japan. It is different from the XE subvariant, whose first case in Japan was confirmed on April 11, in a woman who arrived at Narita International Airport near Tokyo from the United States.

According to Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, the new subvariant, detected in a person who has not traveled abroad recently, is a combination of the BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants, like the XE subvariant.

Details of the new variant are still unknown, including how transmissible it is and the risk of it causing severe symptoms.

The person found with the new subvariant developed symptoms in late March. The person did not become severely ill and has already recovered, according to the city.

The new subvariant was not detected from people who have had close contact with the person.

JIJI Press