The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has asked for calm amidst news of a new COVID-19 variant circulating the country.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Chikwe Iheakwazu at a Press Briefing shared that the new variant, the B.1.2.5 is not as lethal or contagious as the B.1.1.7 strain and research is underway to determine the transmissibility and likely immunity.
He also noted that the variant currently exists in 15 other countries and that it shares similar traits with strains found in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.