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The B117 variant of COVID-19 found in the United Kingdom (UK) is in Nigeria, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Control said on Monday.
PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha who announced this, expressed concerns about increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the last one week.
According to him, the PTF had been monitoring developments around case management, infection, deaths and new trends.
Speaking on the strain in Nigeria, the SGF explained that four persons had been diagnosed with it, adding that while three were travellers from Nigeria to other places, the fourth cases was discovered in the country.
Mustapha said: “Our scientists have been sequencing the variants of the virus.
“There have been reports of cases with the B117 variant strain, first reported in the UK, found in Nigeria. Three of these were in travelers out of Nigeria and one in a resident.”
He said the PTF plans to take further containment actions to slow down the spread of the virus, with special attention to be paid to high-burden council areas.
He said: “The daily statistics for Nigeria as at 24th January were as follows: Cases – 121,566; Tests – 1,270,523; Active Cases – 22,834 (19.4%); Discharged – 97,228;Deaths – 1,504.
“Looking back over the seven days ending 23rd January, I also wish to give you the following statistics: Tests – 58,974; Cases – 11,179; Test Positivity – 19.0%; Deaths – 62; Case Fatality Ratio – 0.6%; Active: 23,568; % Active – 19.4%
