The COVID-19 strain, which is currently ravaging India, has been found in Nigeria.
The strain was detected by the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases in the Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State nearly three weeks ago and has been communicated to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Recall that the Federal Government on Monday restricted gatherings at worship centres and banned nightclubs following reports that the devastating COVID-19 strain in South Africa had spread to 23 other countries.
The detection of the Indian strain in Nigeria contributed to the fresh regulations issued by the Federal Government.
The detection had been listed on GISAID, a global science initiative that provided open access to genomic data of influenza viruses.
A notification dated April 25, 2021, sent by Professor Christian Hapi of the ACEGID to the NCDC read in part, “We have found five sequences of the India B.1.617 in the country, specifically in Edo and Osun states.”
Subsequent observations showed that so far, the strain had not shown the same kind of viciousness displayed in India where 400,000 persons were infected daily and 157 died per hour.
Speaking with one of our correspondents, Hapi said the information was sent to the NCDC two weeks ago.
Hapi, however, clarified that strain in India has two more mutations than the one identified in Nigeria which makes the one in India more aggressive.
“What we have is the B1.617 from India. That is the variant they had but that variant has now evolved beyond the mutation that we identified.
“The one India evolved by two mutations. It is the same strain with India but their own now has a couple of mutations. So, it is the same as what we detected but also different in characteristics.”
Virologist and Chairman, Expert Review Committee on COVID-19, Professor Oyewale Tomori, told one of our correspondents that he was also aware of the detection of the Indian strain.
Tomori said it was important for the government to announce the detection of the Indian strain.
He further said there was a need to increase testing, adding that many states were no longer conducting test for COVID-19. “The Indian strain is not as fierce in Nigeria yet but we are not doing enough testing,” Tomori said.
When asked what the government should do next, Tomori said he was satisfied with the decision of the Federal Government to step up enforcement.
“They have already done what needs to be done by issuing travel guidelines on passengers from India, Brazil and Turkey plus the curfew and others announced yesterday (Monday). Perhaps, there should be an announcement that the Indian strain is already in Nigeria,” Tomori added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Committee on Infectious Disease for the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State branch, Dr Japheth Olugbogi, on Tuesday said the new guidelines released by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 to further curtail the spread of the virus in the country showed that the Federal Government was being proactive.
Olugbogi spoke while featuring on programme on Television Continental, Your View.
The Federal Government, through the PSC, had on Monday reviewed the country’s COVID -19 guidelines by restricting gatherings at places of worship centres and banning nightclubs as parts of measures aimed at preventing the spread of devastating strains of COVID-19 into the country.
In the interview, Olugbogi said the new guidelines were essential.
He described them as proactive steps by the government to combat the spread of the virus across the country.
He said, “It is due to what is happening all over the world actually. I think the government is just trying to be proactive instead of being reactive. So, that is what is going on.
“We are having variants in some countries. We have increased social meetings everywhere now, relaxation of the public health and social preventive measures all over the world now, and a lot of people have not received the vaccine.
“So, some countries have what we call a third wave or a fourth wave, and because of that, a lot of people are getting the infection afresh because they have relaxed public health preventive measures. So, I think the Federal Government is just trying to prevent that from happening here.
“If you look around, a lot of people have stopped wearing face masks and using hand sanitisers. We can’t even say that health workers are left out.
“We have all let our guards down, and I think government is just trying to prevent what is happening in places like India from happening here. That is why the new measures are out.”
Olugbogi said until COVID-19 was defeated in every part of the world, Nigerians had to keep putting up preventive measures to curtail the pandemic.
“We cannot defeat COVID until COVID has been defeated all over the world because the way it works in public health is that if we still have this pandemic even in one country, it can spread to other countries of the world,” he added.
But the National President of the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, Cleric Alaowei, on Tuesday, faulted the new guidelines released by the PSC on COVID-19.