Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has moved to calm fears over the COVID-19 variant XEC, saying there’s no evidence of the strain in the country.
The assurance comes as the variant, first detected in Australia, spreads to 29 countries worldwide, sparking concerns over its heightened virulence.
In a statement, the ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, urged the public to disregard rumours of a COVID-19 resurgence in Nigeria.
Instead, the ministry advised citizens to remain calm, follow universal health precautions, and rely on verified information from official sources.
“To mitigate potential risks, the Federal Government has ramped up preparedness across Federal Tertiary Hospitals and border entry points,” the statement added.
Measures include establishing molecular laboratories, isolation centres, and intensive care units equipped with ventilators.
The ministry has also intensified surveillance at Nigeria’s borders and entry points to detect and address any potential cases of the variant.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has advised African countries to enhance surveillance for influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory syndrome to monitor SARS-CoV-2 cases and emerging variants.
The XEC variant is a subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain and has been detected in 43 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America.
In Africa, only Botswana has reported a case of the XEC variant.
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