Coronavirus cases in Africa have doubled to 200,000 in only 18 days, according to the World Health Organization.
It took 98 days for the continent to reach 100,000 cases after the report of the first case there. It is possible that increased testing is responsible for the surge. But the increase may also be due to many African nations easing restrictions on their economies.
Of the 54 nations in Africa, 10 account for 80% of the cases: Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Sudan. South Africa alone accounts for one-quarter of the cases.
“For now, Africa still only accounts for a small fraction of cases worldwide,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa, told the New York Times. “But the pace of the spread is quickening. Swift and early action by African countries has helped to keep numbers low, but constant vigilance is needed to stop COVID-19 from overwhelming health facilities.”
The COVID-19 fatality rate in Africa is about 1%, according to the WHO. That is lower than most parts of the world, but experts expect it to rise.
