The Federal Government on Saturday said the new EG.5 and BA.2.86, subvariants of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, had not been identified in Nigeria.
The government, however, noted that it was monitoring the situation.
This is even as experts called for vigilance and surveillance, saying the subvariants are more virulent than the original strains.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the presence of EG.5 or the sub-lineages of the coronavirus has been reported in Uganda, Egypt, Cape Verde, and South Africa.
However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in a press statement signed by its Director General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said the agency’s COVID-19 Technical Working Group was closely monitoring COVID-19 epidemiology – local, regional, continental, and global – including emerging variants.
The NCDC said COVID-19 was mainly a problem for those at high risk – the elderly, those with underlying chronic illnesses, especially hypertension and diabetes, those on cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, and those whose immune systems were suppressed for one reason or the other.
On August 9, 2023, the World Health Organisation designated EG.5, a descendant lineage of XBB.1.9.2, and its sub-lineages as a variant of interest.
EG.5 has been detected in 51 countries, including China, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Spain.
The risk assessment conducted by the WHO showed that the EG.5 posed a low risk at the global level.
“EG.5 causes symptoms like those seen with other COVID-19 variants, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and sore throat. So far, only one case of EG.5 has been seen in Africa, it has not been identified in Nigeria,” the NCDC noted.
The National Public Health Institute also said the recently discovered BA.2.86 was a descendent of BA.2 – a sublineage of Omicron, also found in Nigeria in 2022.
WHO designated BA.2.86 as a ‘variant under monitoring’ due to the large number of mutations it carries.
The BA.2.86 variant has been reported the United Kingdom, Israel, Denmark, South Africa, and the United States.
Symptoms of the BA.2.86 variant include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.
Meanwhile, virologists in the country have called on government at all levels to intensify surveillance and awareness in the country, especially at the grassroots level.
Speaking with our correspondent, the President of the Nigerian Society for Virology, Prof. Clement Mboto, said, “Nigerians are so relaxed and are convinced that COVID-19 has disappeared, but we insist that people should continue to take all possible safety measures, especially wearing nose masks and maintaining social distance.
“These subvariants are more virulent, and most symptoms that persist before the lapse occurs are not apparent. So, we need to be more cautious and maintain social distancing.
“We also suggest that government at all levels, including the local government areas, should ensure that they create awareness so people will be informed that COVID-19 has come to stay.
“The surveillance system may be in place in some other places, but Nigeria, even at the health sector level has relaxed, but I know medical personnel are trying to take personal precautions. However, the necessary information must get to the grassroots.”
Another medical virologist at the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Dr Oladipo Kolawole, said COVID-19 vaccines remained a key tool to prevent COVID-19 and its variants, including the EG.5 and BA.2.8 subvariants.
“It is recommended to get vaccinated with a booster shot. Following public health guidelines, such as wearing masks, practising social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings, can help reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus, including its subvariants,” he added.
The virologist also said there was the need to invest in research and development of new vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tools.
