The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases in the Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State has detected the Indian COVID-19 strain.
The Director of the centre, Professor Christian Hapi, made this known in a notification dated April 25, 2021, sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Hapi noted that the center informed the NCDC about the development three weeks ago.
Hapi, however, clarified that strain in India has two more mutations than the one identified in Nigeria which makes the one in India more aggressive.
“We have found five sequences of the India B.1.617 in the country, specifically in Edo and Osun states.”
“What we have is the B1.617 from India. That is the variant they had but that variant has now evolved beyond the mutation that we identified.
“The one India evolved by two mutations. It is the same strain with India but their own now has a couple of mutations. So, it is the same as what we detected but also different in characteristics.”
Hapi added that the strain had not shown the same kind of viciousness displayed in India where 400,000 persons were infected daily and 157 died per hour.
