Africa’s top public health official said on Thursday that a new strain of coronavirus had been found in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country.
According to The Associated Press, John Nkengasong, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa (CDC), told reporters that the new strain was identified based on two or three genetic sequences, prompting an emergency meeting of officials in this area. week.
“It’s a separate line from the UK and South Africa,” Nkengasong said. “Give us some time … it’s still very early.”
According to a research paper obtained by PA, the new strain was found in samples from two patients collected in August and October in the state of Osun in Nigeria. News service reports COVID-19 differs from UK
“We have not seen such a rapid increase in offspring in Nigeria and we have no evidence that P681H contributes to the increased transmission of the virus in Nigeria,” the research paper said. However, the relative difference in the scale of genomic surveillance in Nigeria compared to the United Kingdom may involve a reduced power to detect such changes.
Nkengasong said it is not yet known if the new strain of coronavirus has led to more severe symptoms, although he noted that it transmits faster and has a higher viral load.
The strain found in South Africa and the United Kingdom has caused several countries around the world to limit travel. Some lawmakers have expressed support for similar actions to be taken in the US, with the White House saying it should call for a negative COVID-19 test from travel in the UK.
Africa has seen a further increase in cases, the AP notes, with Nkengasong saying Nigeria has seen a 52% increase in the last month, while cases in South Africa have risen by 40%.
According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria has so far confirmed nearly 80,000 cases and just over 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths.