The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has moved to douse public anxiety following the confirmation of a fresh COVID-19 case in Cross River State, maintaining that there are currently no signs of widespread transmission.
The NCDC said in a statement released by its director-general, Jide Idris, the identified contacts are being followed up appropriately, and there is no evidence at this time of widespread transmission.
On Tuesday, the Cross River State Government confirmed a fresh COVID-19 case, years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an end to the global emergency phase of the virus.
A laboratory technician, on January 21, 2021, holds a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Bidafarma wholesale distribution cooperative in Santa Fe, on the outskirts of Granada.The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, said the index case, a Chinese national who works in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the coastal state, arrived in Nigeria on March 17. He later developed symptoms of the disease.
Idris said that the patient is in stable condition and responding to care.
Report says, the NCDC, support partners, and the Cross River State Ministry of Health have activated response measures, including contact tracing, surveillance, and infection prevention & control.
The public health institute said continue to maintain routine surveillance for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
Nigerians are advised to maintain basic hygiene, including regular hand washing and respiratory etiquette, and to seek immediate medical attention if they are unwell.
The confirmation of the disease came years after the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first discovered in China in 2019, gripped the world, leading to deaths and millions of cases. At the height of the pandemic, Nigeria recorded over 3,000 deaths and 266,000 confirmed cases, leading to unprecedented economic lockdowns.
However, health officials are now urging calm, following the fresh case in the South-South state.
