COVID: Two Nigerians have tested positive for the Omicron Variant- Canada
Two instances of Omicron, a highly transmissible version of the coronavirus, have been identified in Canada, according to health experts.
Two people who traveled to Nigeria have been linked to the two cases.
“Today, the province of Ontario has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Ottawa, both of which were reported in individuals with recent travel from Nigeria. Ottawa Public Health is conducting case and contact management and the patients are in isolation,” a statement by the Ontario government said.
Touchaheart Nigeria reports that this comes just two days after Canada raced to close its borders to foreign visitors from seven Southern African countries in a bid to stop the spread of the newly discovered Covid-19 form, also known as B.1.1.529. South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia are the seven countries.
Travellers will be prohibited from entering Canada until January 31, 2022.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Omicron as a “Variant of Concern,” prompting health experts, scientists, and governments to assess the threat posed by Omicron, as well as whether it will outperform its dominant predecessor Delta, which was highly transmissible and responsible for deadly waves in many parts of the world.
However, the World Health Organization stated that it is unclear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variations or if it can cause more severe disease.
“In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021,” the WHO said in its statement confirming the detection of the variant.
Cases of the Omicron variant have now been detected in 13 nations; Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Canada, and South Africa.
