The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Africa faces a huge potential COVID-19 risk, stating that they estimate 190,000 people could die on the continent in the first year of the pandemic. The WHO is also concerned that the virus could threaten the region for years. The UN Health Agency stated analyzations of its prediction model conclude that as many as 44 million Africans could be infected during the same period.
However, these projections are reliant on the fact that no containment or lockdown measures are taken. 43 African countries have already implemented restrictions that aim to combat the spread of the virus including banned public gatherings, major city curfews, and closed schools. African countries have, in total, reported more than 52,000 infections and over 2,000 related deaths to date. This figure has risen 42% in the last week.
Read More: Virus could kill 190,000 Africans and ‘smolder’ in continent
