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Nigerian CDC Investigating New Coronavirus Variant

Timothy Obiezu

   ABUJA - The Africa and Nigerian Centers for Disease Control and
   Prevention this week said a new variant of the coronavirus has emerged
   in Nigeria. The head of Nigeria's CDC said it is studying the new
   strain, which is different from new strains discovered in Britain and
   South Africa.

   The variant strain was discovered in two patient samples collected on
   August 3 and October 9 in Nigeria's Osun State.

   New strain is being studied

   The Nigeria CDC said it is studying the new strain. Director General
   Chikwe Ihekweazu said at a national COVID-19 briefing that it may be
   too early to determine if the new strain is deadlier or weaker than its
   parent virus.

   "What we're now going to do is collect a selection of other viruses
   circulating in Nigeria now, so from the more recent cases and try and
   compare what we have now with what we have previously in Nigeria but
   also what is circulating abroad," Ihekweazu said. "This is ongoing
   work."

   Mutant strains of the coronavirus have appeared in Britain and South
   Africa in recent weeks but African health officials said the Nigerian
   variant is different from both.

   Nigeria is recording an escalation in coronavirus cases. Infections
   have increased by 52% from November to December.

   New restrictions

   This week, authorities imposed new restrictions on gatherings and
   warned citizens to avoid traveling during the yuletide season.

   Ihekweazu said there is a chance the new strain is responsible for the
   recent surge in cases.

   "We'll be carrying out over the next few weeks to see whether we can
   explain some of the increased transmissions happening in Nigeria and to
   look at whether it is related to the virus," Ihekweazu said.

   Nigeria is among many African countries trying to obtain and distribute
   coronavirus vaccines by the early part of next year.

   The Africa and Nigeria Centers for Disease Control said the new
   coronavirus strains will not affect vaccine deployment but experts
   worry that a continuously mutating virus could be difficult to control.

   Citizens urged to stay vigilant

   Olobayo Kunle is a pharmaceutical research expert at the Nigerian
   Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

   "Vaccines are designed based on a number of assumptions," Kunle said.
   "They're built around a known range of characteristics. If these
   characteristics keep changing, eventually we may get to a point where
   it falls out of the range for which that vaccine was developed."

   The NCDC and other experts are hopeful the new variant is less
   infectious and deadly but for now authorities urge citizens to stay
   vigilant, especially during the holidays.