The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Tuesday December 7, 2021, revealed that three new cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been discovered in Nigeria, bringing the total Omicron variant to six in the country.
According to a statement signed by the NCDC Director General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, the Omicron cases so far were detected in persons with recent travel history to South Africa in November.
His words reads, ” In addition to the three cases announced earlier on 1st December 2021, this brings the total number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant detected in Nigeria to six (6)”.
Apart from the six cases discovered in Nigeria, the government of United Kingdom (UK) has notified the Nigerian government that it also discovered seven cases of Omicron variant from travelers from Nigeria.
He explained, “The Delta variant remains the dominant variant and so far, we have not seen the replacement of this variant by the new Omicron variant as observed elsewhere”, adding, “There is currently no evidence of generalised or community transmission of this variant in Nigeria”.
He stated, “The Omicron variant is a source of global concern because of its increased risk of transmissibility and its potential to escape protective immune responses induced by natural infection and/or vaccination. Taken together, and if true, the Omicron variant can significantly change the current global COVID-19 epidemiology.
