NCDC aid the two cases of the variant were discovered through “genomic sequencing.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The confirmation of the COVID-19 variant has put the country on the growing number of countries that have recorded the first cases of the Omicron variant also known as B.1.1.529 lineage.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this in a statement signed by the Director-General, Ifedayo Adetifa, on Wednesday morning.
The disease centre said the two cases of the variant were discovered through “genomic sequencing.”
It later clarified that three cases were confirmed and not two.
The statement reads in part: “In line with the routine travel tests required of all international travellers and genomic sequencing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control through its National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, confirms Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant.
“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 travellers to Nigeria also identified the omicron variant among samples collected in October 2021.”
The development comes after Canada said it detected two cases of the variant from Nigerian travellers.
On Monday the Canadian government announced that it detected cases of the Omicron variant from two travellers from Nigeria.
But the NCDC said efforts are in top gear to strengthen surveillance in the country and curb its spread.
Mr Adetifa, while appearing on Channels Television programme, “Sunrise Daily,” said little is known yet about the variant but urged Nigerians to get vaccinated as the best arsenal against the pandemic.
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