The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has observed that while the coronavirus is spreading fast through other parts of the world, the typical exponential surge in caseloads is not occurring in Africa.
However, the virus is now moving from high-density urban areas to informal settlements and rural areas with lower population, the global health organisation said.
While making this disclosure, the WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said that the pandemic’s evolution on the continent had been different from the other continents.
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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Moeti was quoted as saying that “Preliminary analysis by WHO finds that an exponential surge in cases which peak about two to three weeks later is not occurring in Africa. Instead, many countries are experiencing a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases and it is difficult to discern a specific peak. Transmission patterns also differ between countries, but more importantly within countries.
“At the onset, COVID-19 mainly affected capital cities. However, the virus is now moving from high-density urban areas to informal settlements and then onward to rural areas that have a lower population density.’’
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The WHO regional chief also made it clear that curbing the virus in Africa will require more integrated efforts at the community levels.
“We are observing multiple local outbreaks each with their own infection patterns and peaks. It is by bolstering the response at the community level that we will win this race. The COVID-19 response must be integrated into the fabric of every health district,’’ he said.
Note that this disclosure is coming on the heels of Africa’s reported 25,000 COVID-19 deaths with more than 1.1 million confirmed cases. The UN health agency also reported more than 846,000 recoveries.
Moeti noted that officials must not only keep up with the evolving trends, but must also anticipate, predict, and act faster in order to forestall any potentially disastrous outcomes.