Page 14 - Nile Explorer Issue 006

Africa Health

How prepared is Africa

for an outbreak of deadly

coronavirus?

he Ebola outbreak hit Africa and people. Detailed investigations quarantines.
Tlike a storm sweeping across found that SARS-CoV was transmitted Going by reports, African countries
West Africa between 2013 and 2014 from civet cats to humans and MERS- are at real risk of another epidemic
taking more than 11,000 lives in three CoV from dromedary camels to of COVID-19 (as the particular
countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea humans. Several known coronaviruses coronavirus strain in China is
and Liberia. The devastation was are circulating in animals that have now known. The World Health
of monumental proportions, never not yet infected humans. Common Organization and other regional and
seen before, in centuries. Although signs of infection include respiratory country public health experts are very
Ebola has been with us long enough, symptoms including fever, cough, worried the “fragile” health systems in
and keeps popping up, oftentimes, shortness of breath and breathing most African countries will be unable
particularly in the DRC, The 2013/14 difficulties. In more severe cases, to cope if coronavirus takes hold on
pandemic was different, it stretched infection can cause pneumonia, severe the continent. Even China with its
the Affected countries’ health systems acute respiratory syndrome, kidney larger pool of technical and financial
to the limit, sending panic across the failure and even death. resources, appears to be struggling to
continent. Standard recommendations to prevent contain the virus.
Africa continent with weak health infection spread include regular The majority of the more than 79,000
systems and the porous land borders, hand washing, covering mouth and confirmed coronavirus cases to date
a major a cause for concern among nose when coughing and sneezing, still remain in China’s, but more than
policymakers and health professionals, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. 2,000 cases have now been reported
who fear that unchecked migration Avoid close contact with anyone in over 24 additional countries, with
and movement of people between showing symptoms of respiratory Egypt being the latest in the count.
countries could be a challenge in the illness such as coughing and sneezing. Study models of the risk of Covid-19
face of the real threat of the novel The disease caused by the new exposure based on air travel from areas
corona virus. coronavirus (SARS-CoV-19-2) has in China with active transmissions,
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large officially been named COVID-19. As and the capacity of individual African
family of viruses that cause illness the number of infections and deaths countries to manage an outbreak
ranging from the common cold to continues to climb in China, concerns suggest—based on Air travel data
more severe diseases such as Middle are rising throughout the world about alone suggests– in order of decreasing
East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS- the potential global impact. Well over likelihood – that Egypt, Algeria, South
CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory 1,000 people have died—a death toll Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia have the
Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel that has surpassed that of the severe highest “importation risk”, with Cairo
coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) International Airport receiving the
that has not been previously identified epidemic that occurred in 2002 and most travellers from areas with active
in humans. 2003. Officials everywhere have transmission in China – excluding
Corona viruses are zoonotic, meaning implemented measures to contain the Hubei province, the epicentre of the
they are transmitted between animals virus, including travel restrictions and disease, from where flights are banned.
14 | The Nile Explorer 006