Nigeria confirms first coronavirus case in sub-Saharan Africa

Nigeria Friday announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa.

The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan earlier this week, Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a statement on Twitter.

“The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba, Lagos,” Ehanire said.

Italy has become a hotbed of infection in recent days, with the largest outbreak in Europe.

But the low number of cases across Africa, which has close economic ties with China — the epicentre of the deadly outbreak — has puzzled health specialists.

Prior to the case in Nigeria, there had been just two cases across the continent — in Egypt and Algeria.

DAILY NATION

 

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