Update #2 on CODIV-19 in Africa #Factnotfear

GLOBAL HEALTH WORKING GROUP

Part II: Africa #FactsNotFear Jennyfer Ambe Co-Chair WCAPS Global Health Working Group March 27h, 2020 According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, there are currently 177 countries and regions affected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.1 On Friday, March 27th 2020, Tedros Ghaebreyesus, The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director General (DG) cited the current numbers at over 20,000 deaths with more than half a million confirmed cases globally.2 These statistics clearly exemplify the devastating toll of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Last week, as stated in the March 21st WCAPS Africa update, the African continent saw an increase of countries affected by the pandemic; 40 countries in the WHO Africa region had new reported cases.3 It is also worth noting that, although Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan are on the continent of Africa, their case counts are not included in data for the WHO Africa region. Rather, they make up the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region. As of March 28th, 2020, there are currently 2,419 confirmed cases in the WHO Africa region with an increase of 482 in the last 24 hours.

There have been 39 deaths in total, eight of which occurred within the last 24 hours.4 On Friday, February 14, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Egypt was announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Health (MoH). This was also the first known case of COVID-19 on the continent of Africa. The MoH spokesperson, Khaled Megahed, stated the patient, a foreign national, was not showing any symptoms of the disease. The MoH alerted the WHO as soon as they suspected possible infection. According to the WHO representative for Egypt, John Gabor, the country has all the necessary protocols set up 1

Coronavirus Resource Center. (n.d.) Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved from https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html World Health Organization Director General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19--27-march-2020 3 Ambe, J. (2020, March 21). Africa #Factsnotfear COVID-19 update. https://www.wcaps.org/blog/2020/3/25/an-update-covid-19-in-africa 4 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Situation report-67. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200327-sitrep-67-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=b 65f68eb_4 2

and all individuals who had any contact with the index case immediately went into self-isolation and were monitored by medical personnel. He further went on to say that Egypt was one of the first countries to develop a preventative plan for COVID-19 in accordance to the WHO and has accurate detectors.5 Egypt currently has 536 total confirmed cases; 30 deaths and 116 people have recovered.

In February, Tunisia’s newly formed government led by the Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh were put to the test within the first few weeks of office. The government immediately put measures into place when the numbers of 2 confirmed in early March, rose to 5 by the 9th of March. Curfews were put in place with strict police enforcement.

The Tunisian government went through the protocol for instituting pandemic phase 1 and swiftly entered phase 2 which was justified due to the burden this may cause on the Tunisian health system. Currently, hospitals are reporting staff infections and there is a fear that COVID -19 will cause catastrophic strain on the fragile health systems in the southern and western regions of Tunisia. Currently, the country has 227 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Although the WHO is suggesting a higher rate of testing, Tunisia does not have the resources available, as is the case across Africa. Tunisia has been proactive with public health communications and outreach.6 The government of Morocco instituted measures to ensure the availability for in-country use of face masks amongst the high demand internationally on March 2nd 2020.7 On the same day, Morocco’s first confirmed case was announced. A 39-year-old male traveled back to Morocco from Italy sometime in February and became the first known case of COVID-19 in the country. This was followed by a critically ill 89-year-old woman who had other underlying health issues, also having travelled back to Morocco from Italy. Within a few days, March 10th a third case, of a French tourist, was confirmed. Unfortunately, that same day the 89-year-old (second case) died.8 Morocco currently has a total of 358 confirmed cases.9 War-torn Libya announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 amidst fears that this pandemic will further cause a massive strain on what is left 5

Egypt Toady Staff (2020, February 14). Egypt announces first coronavirus infection. Retrieved from https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/81641/Egypt-announces-first-Coronavirus-infection 6 Naceur, S.P. (2020, March 27). Corona proactivity in Tunisia, trivialization in Egypt. Retrieved from https://en.qantara.de/content/covid-19-in-north-africa-corona-proactivity-in-tunisia-trivialisation-in-egypt 7 Hatim, Y., (2020, March 5). Retrieved from https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/03/295335/coronavirus-morocco-bans-export-of-medical-masks/ 8 Kasraoui, S. (2020, March 19). Coronavirus: A timeline of COVID-19 in Morocco. Retrieved from https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/03/296727/coronavirus-a-timeline-of-covid-19-in-morocco 9 Coronavirus Africa Tracker.(n.d.) Retrieved from Africa https://africanarguments.org/2020/03/28/coronavirus-in-africa-tracker-how-many-cases-and-where-latest/

2

of the public health system. A 73-year-old man who had also recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, crossed into Libya from Tunisia. He was showing symptoms of the disease and is in isolation at a hospital in Tripoli.10 The WHO has shipped approximately 2 million items of personal protective equipment to combat the threat to the lives of health workers during this pandemic. This shipment was allocated for 74 countries with preparations underway for shipments to another 60 countries.

In his speech on March 27th, the DG of the WHO revisited what has worked: early detection, isolation of confirmed cases, follow up of quarantine of contacts, optimization of care and community engagement to enable communities to fight the disease.

The countries of Botswana, Burundi, Comoros Islands, Lesotho, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe as well as Sierra Leone and South Sudan currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19. It is the hope that African nations continue the fight against COVID-19 using tried and tested procedures as exhibited by countries such as Taiwan and South Korea to avoid the mistakes made in other nations in an effort to mitigate the spread of the disease. There is power in putting lessons learned into practice. By slowing the trajectory of COVID-19, the burden on already fragile health systems is lessened and it will also allow for other preventative measures to be developed that could assist with mitigating this disease.

10

Magdy, S. & Aji, A., (2020, March 24). Libya Reports First Coronavirus Case as the Pandemic Sweeps Across the Middle East. Retrieved from https://time.com/5809453/libya-middle-east-coronavirus-covid19/

3