9/1/2020 Covid-19: Africas low death toll explained
Covid-19 death rates have been low and share of recoveries high in Africa despite earlier warnings from experts that the virus would overrun weak health systems in most countries and kill millions.
Fears of a catastrophe in Africa were further fuelled by the fact that the novel coronavirus infected people with weak immune systems are at higher risk of severe sickness and death. This prediction did not augur well for the continent with the highest number of people living with HIV, which compromises the immune system.
As experts try to unravel the puzzle of the unexpected low death toll, the fact that Africa is now more prepared for public health crises because of Ebola and HIV pandemics experiences is being overlooked.
But about six months after Africa recorded its first case in Egypt, on February 14, the continent has so far escaped the dire predictions. The continent has the second-lowest number of coronavirus infected people dying from Covid-19 of six world’s regions, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Oceania leads with a confirmed case-death rate of 1.6 per cent, followed by Africa and Asia (two percent each), South America (three per cent each), North America (four per cent) while Europe has the highest rate (six per cent).
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