Global report: WHO warns of accelerating Covid-19 infections in Africa

The World Health Organization warned that the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating in Africa after the continent hit 200,000 cases earlier this week.

Speaking at a video briefing organized on Thursday by the UN press association in Geneva, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said: "It took 98 days to reach the first 100,000 cases, and only 18 days to go to 200,000 cases. "So far, Africa has recorded 5,635 deaths.

"Although these cases in Africa represent less than 3% of the world total, it is clear that the pandemic is accelerating."


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South Africa is the most affected country on the continent, with more than a quarter of all infections. But most countries have fewer than 1,000 infections, Moeti said, and the UN does not believe serious cases go undetected.

Africa has recorded fewer than 6,000 deaths, according to an AFP count, but only five countries account for 70% of them: South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt, and Sudan.

In Africa, "the pandemic is still concentrated in and around capital cities, but we are seeing more and more cases spread across the provinces," Moeti said.

She said that in most countries on the continent, the virus entered capitals through international flights from Europe.

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Africa's relatively young population compared to other continents, and the built-in experience of dealing with disease outbreaks have been cited as reasons why Africa has so far not seen the death rates experienced on other continents.

Moeti said early action by African countries has helped keep the numbers down, but constant vigilance is still needed.

The United States remains the most affected country in the world, passing 2 million infections on Thursday. Spikes have been recorded in several states, including Arizona, which confirms more than 1,000 cases daily.

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Shares fell sharply on Wall Street on Thursday as coronavirus cases rose, deflating recent optimism for a rapid economic recovery. The DOW Jones Industrial Average saw its worst day in weeks, closing at nearly 7%. Asian stocks were moderately lower on Friday as a result of the overnight drop.

The US Federal Reserve USA He warned on Wednesday that the second wave of infections runs the risk of prolonging the country's recovery. The Fed forecast unemployment will remain around 9% in December, close to the worst levels seen in the GFC, but Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said a second outbreak could mean that figure was optimistic.

The UN agency for children, Unicef, and the International Labor Organization warned on Friday that the economic effects of the pandemic are at risk of pushing millions of more children into child labor. A joint report released on Friday also stressed that the crisis could push children who are already working to spend more hours under worse conditions. Others could be forced into the worst forms of work, seriously threatening their health and safety, he said.

Other developments in the pandemic include:

There are 7,500,777 confirmed coronavirus infections worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There have been 420,993 known deaths so far. The actual numbers of deaths and infections are likely to be significantly higher due to time delays, different test rates, and definitions, and suspected underreporting.
Brazil, which is the second most affected country after the United States, confirmed 30,000 new cases in 24 hours on Thursday, exceeding 800,000. Under the leadership of Jair Bolsonaro, who has tried to minimize the pandemic, 40,919 people have died. Infections have increased by more than 40% in 21 US states