The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said despite the surge in cases of COVID-19 in China and other countries in recent times, it does not expect any rise in cases or severe illnesses across the country at the moment.
Although the Federal Government agency stressed that it was not dismissive of the possibility that the country may have dangerous Omicron variants, it said that it was waiting to update its genomic sequencing results (later this week) with last December data to enable it review the scenario and find evidence to inform decisions or actions that would be put in place to protect citizens.
The agency, while also stating that available data shows there is an increase in cases in the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (U.S.A), China and elsewhere, it added that it was looking at the risks across all countries that have potential traffic or likely travel to and from Nigeria, and not just China alone.
Last December, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 approved the relaxation of all Coronavirus safety measures and travel advisories, including the lifting of protocols for travelers, the compulsory use of face masks in public spaces and restrictions on mass gatherings.
Also, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in a letter to airline operators last December, stated that pre-arrival or post-arrival testing for COVID-19 will no longer be required for travelers, irrespective of their vaccination status – whether partially or fully vaccinated, while urging facilities to maintain good environmental hygiene, good ventilation, and encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene.
Speaking on Channels Television, the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, said: “Nigerians are rightfully concerned about what is going on in China. A lot of what is going on in China has been put in the spotlight because of travel advisories, mainly negative testing or the requirement for negative PCR test for travelers coming into countries in North America and in Europe. “This, I think, has raised concerns and is providing a bit of distraction, even for the Nigerians that are concerned and people in other parts of the world.
“When we look at the data, we have seen optics in case numbers, hospitalisation and deaths in many countries in the world and, of course, some of these are associated with the winter exacerbations that we see for respiratory illness. But the data that is available shows that there is an increase in cases in the UK, U.S.A, China and elsewhere.
“From our perspective, we are looking at risks across all countries that there is potentially traffic or likely travel from Nigeria, to and fro these destinations; not just China alone.
“In addition to the recent transitions in the zero COVID policy, there are concerns that they might be new variants of Omicron babies that may also be contributing to the optic in cases. Specifically for China, there are talks about a b.5.2.1 Omicron sub-lineage, as well as something called the bf7.
“Our genomic surveillance shows that as far as July and August (2022), we already had b.5.2.1 in the country and circulating, and that was not associated with any increase in cases.
“At the moment, we haven’t seen any bf7, which is the other Omicron baby that people think is responsible for or contributing to the optic of cases in China. But we are waiting to update our genomic sequencing result with the December data.
“The other thing for the U.S.A and UK is that they have the xbb1.5 variant as well, and other xbb-related variants thought to also be behind the optic that they have seen in cases. We have seen xbb variants in Nigeria already for some months. We haven’t explicitly seen xbb1.5 yet. That may be in the December compilation of results when we get that.
“The thing we need to highlight to citizens is that as far as we are concerned at the NCDC and the Ministry of Health, we are looking at all countries where there are potentially risks, and not just the spotlight that has been placed on China because of restrictions put in other places that also have optic in cases that we are paying attention to, and should also be a source of worry if anything changes or if they continue in the same trajectory that they currently are.
“We are not dismissive of the possibility that we may have dangerous Omicron babies, but the facts that we currently have at hand do not suggest that we should expect any rise in cases or any rise in severe illness at the moment.
“But as I said, it is a rapidly moving situation. We will continue to evaluate, gather data and continue to review, and it is possible that when we look at the data that has accumulated in the lapse period later in the week when we sit down to review the scenario, we might see evidence to inform decisions or actions that would be put in place to try and protect citizens.”