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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a case of COVID-19 in Cross River State, assuring the public that there is no evidence of widespread transmission.
In a statement signed by the agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, and shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the health body said the case is the only confirmed infection so far.
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The agency added that the patient has been isolated and is being managed in line with national treatment guidelines.
“The patient is in stable condition and responding to care,” the statement read.
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Response measures underway
The agency said that following confirmation of the case, the Cross River State Ministry of Health, in coordination with the NCDC and partners, activated response measures, including contact tracing, surveillance, and infection prevention and control.
The health body added that it continues to maintain routine surveillance for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections across the country, noting that the detection of the case reflects that these systems remain functional and responsive.
The NCDC advised members of the public to maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene, stay home and seek care if unwell, and follow updates from official public health authorities.
The health agency added that it would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
Backstory
Earlier, the Cross River State government announced the confirmed case during a press conference in Calabar.
The state Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, said the case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
According to him, the patient arrived in Nigeria on 17 March and later developed symptoms, which worsened at a medical facility before he was transferred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
“At the UCTH, his samples were taken and all protocols followed; it was subsequently confirmed that he had symptoms of COVID-19,” Mr Ayuk said, adding that the patient is responding to treatment.
He noted that the state has strengthened its health system to manage outbreaks and urged residents not to panic.
Also speaking, the state epidemiologist, Inyang Ekpenyong, said the emergency response system had been activated, with rapid response teams deployed to Akamkpa.
She added that contact tracing and line listing of individuals who may have been exposed to the patient are ongoing.
Ms Ekpenyong said the incubation period for COVID-19 is typically between two and 14 days, noting that investigations are ongoing to determine where the infection may have been contracted.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) coordinator in the state, Yewande Olatunde, also urged residents to remain vigilant, stressing that the virus is still in circulation globally.
COVID-19
COVID-19, short for Coronavirus Disease 2019, is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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It was first identified in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, before spreading globally and being declared a pandemic by the WHO in March 2020. According to the WHO, over seven million deaths were officially recorded worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The disease primarily affects the respiratory system and spreads through droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, and difficulty breathing, although some infected individuals may remain asymptomatic.
