8th April, 2021
A Nigerian Covid-19 variant is causing jitters in Britain, as reports claimed it could be deadlier than the South African strain.
One report said though cases of the South African variant have risen in the last week – but it is the cases of the Nigerian variant that have seen the biggest rise.
The figures show that in the last week there have been more than 470 cases of B1351 (SA) compared to 400 cases the week before.
At the start of February there were thought to have been 150 cases.
Cases of the Nigerian variant, B1525 have more than doubled in the last month.
At the end of February there were 100 cases and at the end of March this was at 250 and experts say it is now around 300.
The reason experts are so worried about the Nigerian variant is due to its fatality rate in comparison to other strains.
Its fatality rate is 4.3 per cent, while the South African variant is 2.2 and the Kent variant, 2.3.
Figures show that 12 people in the UK have died from the Nigerian strain, while nine have died from the South African variant.
While figures from the Nigerian variant and South African variant are still lower than the Kent strain, which accounts for 150,000 cases to date, experts say the other strains can spread widely and could try and evade jabs.
Meanwhile in Nigeria, infection rate has slowed down for more than two months.
On Wednesday, 110 new cases were recorded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
And there has been no death since 1 April.
The last time Nigeria recorded daily high number was on 22 January when 2,314 cases were logged.
Till date, the country has recorded 163,440 cases of the virus out of which 153,788 have recovered.
Active COVID cases have also shrunk to 7,652.