Nigeria confirms first case of Ômicron among travelers who arrived from South Africa last week

ABUJA – Nigeria confirmed this Wednesday its first case micron variable The new coronavirus is among travelers who arrived from South Africa last week. Earlier, the country’s Centers for Disease Control (NCDC) said the case was identified in a sample collected in October, but the information was later corrected. According to a spokesperson, the sample contained a delta variant.

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The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Micron was detected in “three people with a history of travel to South Africa”. “Given the high potential for increased transmissibility of the micron variant, it is necessary to implement measures to contain community transmission,” the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

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After a meeting on Wednesday with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the travel restrictions “cruel and unfair” and said the economic damage would be “substantial and permanent”.

Several countries have imposed travel restrictions on South African countries, while Hong Kong and Canada have banned entry to non-resident travelers from Nigeria. South Korea said it had detected a micron variant in fully vaccinated travelers who arrived last week from Nigeria.

First reported in South Africa a week ago, Ômicron has highlighted the disparity between mass vaccination programs in rich nations and sparse immunization in the developing world.

However, data from other countries indicate that the variant was already in circulation Before being officially identified in the South African country It has since been discovered in more than a dozen countries. Work to determine if it is more contagious, fatal, or If she is resistant to vaccines Existing will take weeks.