Nigeria detects first case of omicron variant from October

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria has detected its first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in a sample collected in October, weeks before South Africa alerted the world about the variant last month. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control said genomic sequencing of positive COVID-19 cases from incoming international travelers identified a case of omicron in October as well as two cases of the omicron variant among people who arrived from South Africa last week. Nigeria CDC director-general Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa says retrospective sequencing has uncovered the cases of the variant. It is the first West African country that has recorded the omicron variant since scientists in southern Africa detected and reported it last month.