The coronavirus situation in Africa is not as severe as the outbreaks in western countries but the World Health Organization (WHO) still projected up to 190,000 deaths if anti-coronavirus measures were not established.
WHO Study Projects Thousands of Deaths in Africa
The recent WHO Africa study noted that without containment and social distancing measures, between 83,000 and 190,000 people in the country may succumb to COVID-19, Reuters reported.
WHO Africa head Matshidiso Moeti said in a teleconference on Thursday that fortunately, multiple African countries have already imposed strict social restrictions and most public gatherings have been banned.
Aside from the ban on large public events, most African nations have also imposed international travel restrictions to prevent the rise in imported coronavirus cases.
On the other hand, the WHO argued that even with transmission rates being lower across the continent as opposed to other regions, there is still a possibility of prolonged outbreaks throughout Africa.
It is also worth noting that the WHO Africa study only covered data in 47 countries. There were other countries in the continent that were not included in the study such as Morocco and Egypt.
In the continent, there is an apparent inadequacy in healthcare equipment and facilities, raising the risk of prolonged outbreaks. Only one ventilator and less than one intensive care unit (ICU) bed is available for 100,000 Africans, a Reuters survey found.
Health Officials Warns of Africa's Weak Healthcare System
Health experts have spoken up about the issue regarding Africa's healthcare system as a whole. They warned that due to inadequate facilities and equipment, there is a high risk of the health system being overwhelmed.
According to Al Jazeera, only Lesotho remains as the only African country that has zero confirmed COVID-19 cases. The latest data indicated that almost every nation in the continent has been reached by the highly-infectious virus.
As of Friday, Africa logged a total of 54,083 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,073 deaths, as confirmed by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite the rising number of new infections in Africa, there have also been 18,412 recoveries, raising hopes for better days despite a weak health system.
South Africa Remains Hardest-Hit
South Africa is still the hardest-hit country in the continent, with 8,232 confirmed cases, Africa News reported. The country has 4,918 active cases versus 3,153 recovered patients. The country's fatality toll has reached 161.
With a total of 7,981 confirmed cases as of Thursday, Egypt is following South Africa behind in the number of infections. The country still has 5,612 active cases and 482 lives have been lost to the virus. 1,887 people have since recovered.
Morocco is the third hardest-hit country, with 5,548 cases. 183 people have succumbed to the COVID-19 strain in the country while 3,186 people are still receiving treatment. 2,179 have since recovered.
Algeria is in fourth place in terms of coronavirus infections, with a total of 5,182 confirmed cases and 2,376 active cases. The country has 2,323 recovered patients, but it is the hardest-hit country in Africa in fatalities with 483 deaths.
