The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NDCC) has confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the country.
This was contained in a press statement, on Wednesday, by NCDC director-general, Ifedayo Adetifa, the variant was detected in two Nigerians who arrived in the country last week from South Africa. The Centre said in line with the routine travel test required of all international travellers and Genomic sequencing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) through Its National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Abuja, confirmed Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant, also known as the B.1.1.529 lineage.
“Genomic sequencing of positive cases from routine day two testing for travellers to Nigeria identified two cases of Omicron variant among travellers from South Africa who arrived in Nigeria last week. Retrospective sequencing of previously confirmed cases among travelers to Nigeria also identified the omicron variant among samples collected in October 2021,” Adetifa said.
* NewDiplomat
