…As Nigeria records 626 new infections
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the new COVID-19 variant, labeled C.1.2., which was first detected in South Africa, does not appear to be spreading. The WHO spokesperson, Margaret Harris, told a UN briefing that the C.1.2. variant is not currently classified as a “variant of concern” by the UN health agency, adding that it is monitoring the variant as it evolves.
Earlier, South African scientists said the new variant comes with multiple mutations but they are yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection.
The scientists said the C.1.2. contains several mutations associated in other variants with increased transmissibility and reduced sensitivity to neutralising antibodies but they occur in a different mix.
South Africa was the first country to detect the Beta variant, one of only four labeled “of concern” by the WHO. Genomic sequencing data from South Africa shows that the C.1.2. variant is still nowhere near displacing the dominant Delta variant.
Delta is the fastest and fittest variant the world has encountered, and it is upending assumptions about COVID-19 even as nations loosen restrictions and reopen their economies.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recorded 626 new cases of COVID-19 with 14 casualties on Tuesday, August 31, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The public health agency, on its official website on Wednesday morning, said the surge in infections is driven by the third wave of the pandemic.
The agency had announced 460 new infections on Monday, August 30.
It added that the fresh infections were reported from nine states and the FCT, with Lagos State recording 334 followed by Rivers with 134 cases.
Further details revealed that Oyo reported 60, FCT, 41, Osun, 20, Plateau, 14, while Ogun, Ekiti, Kwara and Benue had nine, seven, six and one cases respectively.
The NCDC disclosed that about 2.7 million persons had been tested with a total of 192,431 results turning positive since the first case of the pandemic was reported on February 27, 2020.
It gave the total number of deaths from the pandemic as 2,469, with the total haul of active cases rising from 10,858 reported on Monday, to 11,203 on Tuesday.
It added that 178,759 COVID-19 patients had recovered and were discharged as a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre activated at Level 2 continues to coordinate the national response activities.