Nigeria, Algeria report Indian variant of the coronavirus, WHO says without further details

Nigeria and Algeria have reported the Indian variant of the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization.

Following this confirmation, seven African nations have now officially detected the variant within their territories.

The WHO says the world must endeavor to ''limit the spread''.

"We will continue to see variants emerge, we will continue to see variants of concern around the world and we must do everything that we can to really limit the spread. Limit infections, prevent the spread and reduce severe disease and death with the tools that we have at hand", said Maria Van Kerkove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19.

A WHO official provided no further details on the number of cases reported in Nigeria and Algeria.

There was also no information about the travel history of the people who tested positive in the DR Congo, Nigeria and Algeria.

African countries that have so far reported the B.1.617 variant are Kenya with five cases.

Morocco two, four cases have been reported in South Africa, one in Uganda with the DR Congo confirming five cases.

The global health body has classified the Indian variant as a ‘’variant of global concern’’.

It was first detected in October last year. Studies are ongoing to establish whether the variant is responsible for the deadly surge of infections in India.

As of Wednesday May 12, the country has confirmed 23,340,938 covid-19 cases, with 254,197 fatalities, according to the WHO. A total of 175,171,482 vaccine doses have been administered.