The Federal Government says the COVID variant — XEC, has not been detected in Nigeria.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said this in a statement by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr Alaba Balogun, in Abuja on Saturday.
According to him, it has become imperative to correct the misinformation and fear of the public concerning the resurgence of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
He added that the contents of a letter with Ref.No.DHS/INSPDIV/017/VOL.1/46 dated 5 December, implying that the variant was in the country and has been circulating on social media, should be ignored.
He stated that “you may recall that a newly detected COVID variant, XEC, was reported in Australia and has spread to 29 countries globally, showing more virulence over other circulating strains with concern over its possible impact on service delivery in our federal tertiary hospitals.
“However, the good news is that there is no evidence of COVID variant XEC in Nigeria.
“In light of the above, the public is advised not to panic but to continue with the universal precautions of observing personal hygiene, including regular washing of hands”.
Alaba noted that the ministry, through her agencies, stepped up surveillance, including at all entry points to Nigeria.
He added that the federal government proactively upgraded its federal tertiary hospitals by establishing molecular laboratories, isolation centres, and intensive care units (ICUs) equipped with ventilators.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the XEC variant is a sub-variant of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain, first reported in May.
The virus had been detected in 43 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America.
In Africa, Botswana reported one XEC case from a hospitalised European traveller.
