Another new coronavirus strain found in Nigeria: Africa CDC

[thackney]

Another new coronavirus strain found in Nigeria: Africa CDC
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/531560-another-new-strain-suspected-in-nigeria-africa-cdc
12/24/20

Africa’s top public health official said on Thursday that a new strain of the coronavirus has been found in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country.

As The Associated Press reports, John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters the new strain had been identified based on two or three genetic sequences, prompting an emergency meeting of officials this week.

“It’s a separate lineage from the U.K. and South Africa,” said Nkengasong. “Give us some time ... it’s still very early.”

According to a research paper obtained by the AP, the new strain was found in samples from two patients collected in August and October in Nigeria’s Osun state. The news service noted that the COVID-19 variant differed from one found in the U.K....