Covid-19

COVID 19: Omicron Variant Not in Nigeria Yet- FG

COVID 19: Omicron Variant Not in Nigeria Yet- FG

  • The federal government has disclosed that the Omicron COVID 19 variant has not been detected in Nigeria yet
  • The is as the NCDC has ramped up efforts by prioritizing sequencing samples from SARS-COV-2 positive travelers
  • The Omicron variant which was discovered in South Africa has been reported to have a higher infection rate

As worried being to rise over the emergence of the new COVID 19 Omicron variant, the federal government has assured Nigerians that the variant hasn’t been discovered in Nigeria.

Omicron variant

In a statement released to the press on Sunday evening, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa confirmed this.

Adetifa disclosed that the country is currently prioritizing sequencing samples from SARS-COV-2 positive travelers from all countries.

The NCDC boss also told all states to ensure that the testing is made easily available so that incoming travelers and those with symptoms of the virus can get tested.

A part of the statement reads:

“The state notes that the NCDC, through the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) continues to coordinate genomic surveillance and other activities required for the detection of variants.”

Read also: 3.5 Million People Receive COVID 19 Vaccine Full Dose in Nigeria

Adetifa also confirmed that cases of the new Omicron variant have been reported in the UK, Israel, Botswana, Hong Kong, Italy, among other countries but so far, no death has been attributed to the strain.

Due to the higher number of mutations of the Omicron variant and the sharp rise of COVID 19 cases in South Africa, the virus is beloved to be highly transmissible and poses more risk of reinfection.

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