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Covid-19 resurfaces in Nigeria years after global outbreak
Nigeria has recorded a fresh case of Covid-19 in Cross River State.
According to health officials, the new case involved a Chinese national who took ill after flying into the country on March 17.
The State Ministry of Health said profiling and tracking of individuals who came in contact with the Chinese patient had commenced.
Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in Calabar in a press briefing on the resurgence of the virus, noting that the state is recording its first significant case since 2022.
Ayuk who promised to curb the spread of the virus, admonished citizens of the state to remain vigilant, while going about their daily activities.
Speaking on the admitted patient, Ayuk said: “We are, however, happy to report that he is doing well.”
He assured that the ministry was capable of handling and managing any situation involving disease outbreaks.
“But we are determined that for every ailment, every disease or outbreak, if it is identified here in the state, there should be no alarm.
“The state will do well in terms of surveillance or containment of an outbreak. Whatever it is, we will do our best to contain it. So, there is no alarm.
“When this case was reported in about three or four days ago, we decided to be careful to confirm and ensure that the processes involved with identifying and confirming every case of Covid-19, are duly followed.
“The protocols have been followed and confirmed that a 53-year-old Chinese who work in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state has Covid-19,” Ayuk said.
The state epidemiologist, Iyang Ekpenyong, responding, said emergency response unit had been activated.
She added that contact tracing was also ongoing, while stating that the patient may have contracted the virus here in Nigeria, as silent infection within the country was a possibility.
“The incubation period for this virus is usually between two to 14 days, but the Chinese flew into Nigeria from China on 17 March and started developing the symptoms on 10 April.
“This is well beyond the 14 days incubation period. Like I said, we are doing the line listing of those he may have come in contact with, as part of our containment efforts,” she said.
“We have also activated the emergency response center and deployed rapid response teams to Akamkpa, where the victim works.
“There is no way we can stop this disease, but we can stop the disease outbreak.
“It will be wrong not to contain or manage it by ensuring that people do not die,” she added
Also speaking at the press briefing was a World Health Organisation coordinator in Cross River, Yewande Olatunde, who stated that the disease had not been fully eradicated, as different strains had begun developing, stressing that preventive measures must be explored by all for adequate protection.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of death globally after it was first recorded in China in late 2019.
A global outbreak in 2020 led to lockdowns, paralyzing economic activities globally, with the epidemic gradually easing after the roll out of vaccines and other safety measures.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), The virus claimed the lives of about 3,000 persons in the country.
