(Yicai Global) Jan. 3 -- Omicron sub-variants XBB and BQ.1 have not yet been detected among residents in Shanghai, according to an expert.

The two omicron strains prevail in Europe and the United States, but have not spread locally in Shanghai, said Yuan Zheng'an, a member of the Shanghai Pandemic Prevention and Control Expert Group.

Several cases of XBB and BQ.1 have been reported among international arrivals in China, but they are under strict closed-loop management, Shanghai Observer reported yesterday.

There are no reports of XBB and BQ.1 causing severe illness or deaths at home and abroad, China Securities Journal reported, citing Xu Wenbo, director of the National Institute for Viral Disease and Prevention of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drugs such as montmorillonite powder, Norfloxacin, rehydration salts, and probiotics have sold out, as the public believes the strains may cause diarrhea.

Editor: Futura Costaglione