Nigeria Discovers New COVID-19 Strain

On Thursday, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials announced discovering a new COVID-19 strain in Nigeria.

John Nkengasong, head of the organization said to the Associated Press that the new strain was identified through following the latest genetic sequences of the virus' samples.

“It’s a separate lineage from the U.K. and South Africa,” he added.

"According to a research paper obtained by the AP, the new strain was found in samples from two patients collected in August and October in Nigeria’s Osun state. The news service noted that the COVID-19 variant differed from one found in the U.K," The Hill website revealed.

Nkengasong asserted that researchers can't confirm whether the new strain of the pandemic led to extra severe symptoms or not.

The new-discovered strain in South Africa and the U.K. caused the return of the travel ban between various countries and the UK.

Also, a number of cases infected by the new strain were reported in various parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.