Nigeria has confirmed its first case of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.
According to the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, the strain was detected during routine tests for in-bound travellers.
The Delta variant, first identified in India, is recognized by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern given its increased transmissibility.
The variant has been detected in over ninety countries and is expected to spread to more countries.
There are ongoing studies to understand the impact of the variant on existing vaccines and therapeutics.
As part of Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, NCDC has been working with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), and other laboratories within the national network to carry out genomic sequencing.
Given the high transmissibility of the Delta variant and following its detection in Nigeria, NCDC urged all Nigerians to ensure strict adherence to public health and social measures in place.
The NCDC director general, Mr. Chikwe ihekweazu, said although Nigeria has seen a low number of COVID-19 cases in the last eight weeks, it was important not to forget to be careful.
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