Omicron on Beijing patient's letter from Canada

Jane Cheung

A Beijing woman could have contracted the highly contagious Omicron variant from a letter shipped from Toronto, via the United States and Hong Kong, mainland health authorities say.

The letter, sent from Canada on January 7, was found to have the coronavirus on the envelope and papers inside.

Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention deputy director Pang Xinghuo said the woman told authorities she received the letter - sent by express mail from Toronto - on January 11 and touched only the envelope and the first sheet of paper inside.

But she developed symptoms on January 13 and subsequently became the first Omicron community case in Beijing as she did not travel during the 14-day incubation period.

A total of 22 samples were taken from the letter - including two from the surface of the envelope, two from the inside and eight from papers inside. All 22 samples came back positive and genetic sequencing confirmed it was Omicron.

Pang said eight people came into contact with the letter during transport, but only its recipient was infected.

Authorities seized 54 other letters from Toronto to Beijing and found five had the coronavirus. On one letter, samples from the envelope and papers inside were positive.

Whole genome sequencing of the woman's infection found the Omicron variant she carried was different from other imported Omicron cases reported in Beijing and locally transmitted cases in other mainland cities, suggesting it is from different sources.

It is similar to those trending in North America and Singapore last month.

The woman's close contacts, so far, all tested negative.

Authorities also tracked her whereabouts 14 days prior to her onset of symptoms and confirmed she had not been in contact with recent Covid cases.

"Considering all of the above factors, we cannot rule out the patient had contracted the coronavirus from items sent from outside the territory," Pang said. "The Covid coronavirus can survive a relatively long period in low temperatures and the risk of transmission through objects during winter is higher."

According to the website of Canada Post, the country's public mail service provider, citing the World Health Organization and Public Health Agency of Canada, said "the risk [ getting infected] when handling mail, including international mail, is low.

"In general, because of poor survivability of coronaviruses on surfaces, there is a low risk of spread from products or packaging shipped over a period of days or weeks," the office said in its "frequently asked questions" section.

It added there is no evidence of Covid being transmitted by imported goods or packages.

The Hongkong Post handled over three million mail items a day in fiscal year 2019-20, including more than 90 percent for the commercial and business sector.

The Hongkong Post has been stepping up with cleaning of the working environment and providing protective gear, including face shields, goggles and masks for postmen.

Delivery of mail to buildings with confirmed cases in the past 14 days are reduced to three times a week and without door delivery service.

Last November, a parcel from Inner Mongolia containing clothing items purchased by a Hong Kong woman on Taobao on Single's Day sale was found to carry the coronavirus.

But when mainland authorities alerted local health departments, the woman had already unboxed the parcel, threw away the external packaging and washed the clothes. The woman, her family and deliverymen who came in contact with the parcel all tested negative for Covid.

At the same time, multiple mainland cities have reported Covid-carrying parcels and expert Zhan Liubo from the Chinese Centers for Disease Control advised people not to bring parcels into their homes.

Instead they should put on a mask and gloves to unbox the parcels outside their homes, throw away the packaging immediately and only bring the contents inside.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com