A brand-new announcement has been made available to Nigerians by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Goldennewsng reports that the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the COVID-19 Omicron sub-lineages that are partially to blame for the current rise in COVID-19 cases in China, the United States, and the United Kingdom have not yet been found in the country.
This information was made public by the NCDC on Wednesday in a COVID-19 genomic surveillance update that was signed by its Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa.
According to the update that was made available to our correspondent, the Omicron sub-lineage that is responsible for the rise in cases in the United States and the United Kingdom is XBB.1.5, whereas the rise in cases in China is BF.7.
However, Adetifa stated that B.5.2.1 has been observed in Nigeria since July 2022.
He claims that since the emergence of the variant and its relatives and their shorter incubation period, country-targeted travel restrictions, including requests for PCR-negative tests from incoming travelers, had little or no effect on preventing the global and national circulation of omicron.
“The NCDC-led COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre is monitoring COVID-19 trends in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, and other countries with a high volume of traffic to and from Nigeria,” he stated. This remembers the resurgence of Coronavirus for China following the unwinding of the nation’s zero-Coronavirus strategy, as well as essentially expanded Coronavirus cases, confirmations, and passings in the UK and the USA throughout the last weeks driven to a limited extent by the typical winter intensifications of respiratory sicknesses.
“Genomic surveillance has demonstrated that the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant and its lineages continue to dominate in recorded infections worldwide prior to the recent increase in cases in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations. However, the rise of the new Omicron sub-lineages XBB.1.5 in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as BF.7 in China, raises concerns because they may spread more quickly than older Omicron sub-lineages (such as XBB or BQ) and may be partly to blame for the current rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. However, the surge in China is attributed to the sub-lineages B.5.2.1 and BF.7, which do not appear to be increasing in an unusual manner in other nations.
Nigeria’s COVID-19 virus genomic surveillance is being strengthened by the NCDC. Nigeria has been dominated by the Omicron variant’s sub-lineage (BQ.1/BQ.1.1) ever since it was discovered in December 2021. There have been no local increases in the number of cases, admissions, or deaths associated with any of these dominant sub-lineages in Nigeria that also circulate elsewhere.
“The sub-genealogies somewhat answerable for the ongoing expansion in Coronavirus cases in different nations i.e., XBB.1.5 and BF.7 have not yet been recognized in the nation yet B.5.2.1 has been seen here since July 2022 and the others are undoubtedly here as of now. Since October 2022, BF.7 and XBB have also been in circulation in South Africa, but there has been no accompanying rise in fatalities, severe illnesses, or cases.
“Despite the presence of COVID-19 variants in various regions of the world, severe disease, hospitalizations, and deaths disproportionately affect the unvaccinated and those with known risk factors, such as the elderly, co-morbid, and immunocompromised. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most important thing Nigerians can do because the vaccine is the most important way to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
“Despite the fact that the COVID-19 protocols and restrictions have been relaxed, individuals who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 should continue to adhere to the non-pharmaceutical interventions that are recommended, such as wearing face masks, maintaining good hand and respiratory hygiene, and avoiding crowded areas.
In Nigeria and the majority of Africa, COVID-19 has and continues to follow a distinct epidemiological course. Our genomics surveillance confirmed that other Omicron sub-lineages that were associated with increases in cases, admissions, and deaths elsewhere did not cause the same in Nigeria. This is due to the population’s significant immunity from natural immunity and vaccines that have a significant impact on hospitalization and mortality. Since the emergence of this variant and its relatives and their shorter incubation period, country-targeted travel restrictions, including requests for PCR-negative tests from incoming travelers, had little or no effect on preventing global and national circulation of omicron.
“The NCDC will keep on giving close consideration to the continuous Coronavirus circumstance in different nations and assemble extra observation information to illuminate activities. This week, we are going over the situation once more. A variety of actions, including enhanced surveillance of travelers at airports, may be chosen and implemented at this subsequent review if deemed necessary.
