•Africa CDC: Nigeria’s variant different from UK, S’Africa’s
Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja, Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos
The federal government yesterday allayed fears over the discovery of a new variant of COVID-19 virus in Nigeria.
A senior official of the Federal Ministry Health told THISDAY that the new COVID-19 variant has not yet become a major threat.
Also, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, has said that the PTF is in touch with Professor Christian Happi, who alongside Ify Aniebo led a group to carry out a study, where they found that the United Kingdom’s ‘lineage B.1.1.7,’ a mutant variant of the virus, has been existing in Nigeria for months.
The Federal Government is investigating claims by Nigerian scientists that the mutated variant of the coronavirus recently discovered in the United Kingdom has been existing in Nigeria for several months.
Nigeria: Govt Tracking New Type of Coronavirus in Nigeria allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
FG tracking new type of coronavirus in Nigeria
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By Sola Ogundipe, Dayo Johnson, Omeiza Ajayi & Demola Akinyemi, James Ogunnaike
The Federal Government is investigating claims by Nigerian scientists that the mutated variant of the coronavirus recently discovered in the United Kingdom has been existing in Nigeria for several months.
The Presidential Task Force, PTF, on Covid-19 also hinted that the Covid vaccine would be administered on Nigerians free when vaccination begins.
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FG investigating claims of detection of UK mutant coronavirus in Nigeria – PTF
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By Sola Ogundipe
The Federal Government is investigating claims by Nigerian scientists that the mutated variant of the coronavirus recently discovered in the United Kingdom has been existing in Nigeria for several months.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, who disclosed this, said the PTF is in touch with scientists at the Redeemer’s University, Nigeria, in Ede, Osun State, who conducted studies that discovered UK’s “lineage B.1.1.7” mutant variant of the coronavirus.
Aliyu said Professor Christian Happi, a professor of Molecular Biology & Genomics, and another scientist, Ify Aniebo, both of the African Centre of Excellence for the Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer’s University, Nigeria, reported the collection of samples from Osun State in August and October, both of which showed the presen