The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has addressed concerns regarding a new variant of COVID-19 known as XEC, reportedly circulating in Australia. The organization emphasized that they are actively monitoring surveillance data internationally and locally to guide public health responses.
The NCDC clarified that the XEC variant, a subvariant of the Omicron lineage, is being closely watched but is not considered to pose a significant risk at the moment. Although there have been reports of increased COVID-19 cases associated with the XEC variant in various countries, including Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, it has not been detected in Nigeria yet.
While the JN.1 subvariants are prevalent globally, the XEC subvariant is noted for higher transmissibility but not for increased severity. The NCDC continues to upgrade strategies and capabilities for an effective response and urges health facilities to increase COVID-19 testing and sample submissions for sequencing.
The agency emphasized the importance of following basic public health measures such as good personal hygiene, mask-wearing, physical distancing, testing, and vaccination. It also advised healthcare workers to be vigilant and adhere to infection prevention and control measures. State governments and policymakers were encouraged to promote public health campaigns to educate communities on preventive measures and early medical intervention.