Coronavirus cases in Africa: March 21, 2020

African countries that have reported coronavirus cases as of March 21, 2020:

• Egypt 285
• South Africa 240
• Algeria 94
• Morocco 86
• Tunisia 54
• Burkina Faso 40
• Senegal 47
• Cameroon 27
• DRC 18
• Rwanda 17
• Ghana 16
• Nigeria 12
• Ivory Coast 9
• Ethiopia 9
• Togo 9
• Kenya 7
• Equatorial Guinea 6
• Tanzania 6
• Gabon 4
• Central African Republic 3
• Congo 3
• Madagascar 3
• Namibia 3
• Sudan 2
• Benin 2
• Guinea 2
• Liberia 2
• Zambia 2

Countries with one coronavirus case are Angola, Chad, Djibouti, Gambia, Niger, Somalia and Eswatini

Reuters reports that the stakes are high – if the novel coronavirus gets into Africa’s poorest areas, squalid, cramped conditions could cause it to spread at lightning speed.

Hospitals across Africa are already overburdened with cases of measles, malaria and other infectious diseases.

Asking patients to self-quarantine at home is not practical in many areas, where families cram into a single room, share a communal tap or latrine, and survive on daily earnings.

“Africa should brace itself for a serious challenge,” John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on March 11.

“I still believe containment is possible, but only with extensive testing and surveillance.” In some places however, that looks all but impossible.

Promoting good hygiene is a key part of that effort but that is easier said than done.

Less than half the population in 34 African countries have basic hand-washing facilities in their homes, according to a 2017 United Nations survey.

Source: Worldometers website