Cases have more than doubled in 22 countries in the region over the past month.
When the first human case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019, one of the most significant concerns in curtailing the pandemic’s spread was Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) and stakeholders expressed concerns on how Africa will cope with the spread considering her poor health infrastructure and hygiene.
Melinda Gates, wife of billionaire entrepreneur, Bill Gates warned that if the world does not act fast enough to rescue the continent, there will be dead bodies all over Africa’s streets. It is safe to say that Africa deserves some accolades on how it handled the pandemic. With over 106 million total confirmed cases and 2.31 million deaths due to COVID-19 recorded so far, Africa amounts to 3,670,082 million confirmed cases and 95,090 deaths, despite its population of approximately 1.4 billion people on the latest United Nations estimates.
The world was thrown into a panic over Africa’s chances of survival when the media reported that the number of cases in Africa tripled from 100, 000 to 300, 000 within 31 days.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cases have more than doubled in 22 countries in the region over the past month, but case numbers are lower than predicted. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa, has said that “although the pace of the spread is quickening, the swift and early action by African countries has helped to keep the numbers low.”
Many stakeholders believe swift action, public support, sound community health systems, etc. have helped the continent curtailing the spread of Covid-19. The continent has taken a step further and beaten many developed countries in Europe, Asia, and America to use technology in curtailing the pandemic.
Hotels in Johannesburg and Kigali have introduced the use of robots to replace concierges or bellhops. The robots have been deployed to limit visitors contacting staff in the hotels. Visitors who visit some top hotels in Africa such as the 453-room upmarket Hotel Sky have encountered robots in the hotel corridors, answering guests’ queries and delivering room service orders. Many hotels like this one, in Africa, has embraced the new technology even more than it had initially intended, as a way to help reduce the risk of infection by Covid-19.
The initiative has attracted recommendations from critics worldwide, who claims that African countries deserve commendations for doing so much to control the spread of Covid-19 despite the low number of cases recorded.
COVID-19 transmission and protective measures
COVID-19 spreads primarily from person to person. Fighting this disease is our joint responsibility.
Protect yourself and others by making these 6 simple precautions your new habits:
• Clean your hands often
• Cough or sneeze in your bent elbow – not your hands!
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Limit social gatherings and time spent in crowded places
• Avoid close contact with someone who is sick
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
Source: African Exponent