Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Africa reports over 1.3 million coronavirus recoveries

by Agencies

ISTANBUL Oct 23, 2020 - 3:25 pm GMT+3
A man has his temperature checked in a shop in Harare, Zimbabwe, Oct. 19, 2020. (EPA Photo)
A man has his temperature checked in a shop in Harare, Zimbabwe, Oct. 19, 2020. (EPA Photo)
by Agencies Oct 23, 2020 3:25 pm
RECOMMENDED
A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters File Photo)

Sudan's paramilitary forces take over Khartoum museum

SUDAN

Africa continued to maintain a more than 80% recovery rate with 1,387,022 patients having recovered as of Friday, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

At least 40,690 people have died of the virus across the continent, the latest update by the Africa CDC revealed. The number of confirmed cases has reached 1,685,589.

Health officials in Africa said the rollout of rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 could be a "game-changer” for their fight against the coronavirus but also warned Thursday that increased testing could drive up confirmed cases on a continent that has seen figures in decline or plateauing as case numbers soar in the West.

South Africa has by far the largest of continental figures with 785,600 cases and 20,300 deaths; however, it also has the most recoveries currently standing at 702,500. North Africa recorded 454,100 cases, East Africa, 199,800, West Africa, 186,600 and Central Africa, 59,500, according to data complied by Anadolu Agency (AA).

Some experts worry that Africa has lacked the ability to test widely enough so far, especially in hard-to-reach rural areas and that its case counts don't reflect reality and impede tracking the virus.

"African countries are gearing up to introduce antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests on a large scale and this will be a game-changer, we think, in the fight against COVID-19,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Africa said.

Speaking from Brazzaville, Congo, at an online news conference, Moeti noted that the WHO Africa region comprised of sub-Saharan Africa plus Algeria – has seen a downward trend from a daily average of more than 15,000 cases in July to less than 4,000 in the past month – prompting some governments to pull back from their toughest containment measures.

"As countries ease restrictions on movement, some increase in cases is expected, but preventing an exponential rise is absolutely critical,” she said. From early on in the pandemic, officials at WHO headquarters in Geneva, including the U.N. health agency's Ethiopian director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, have expressed concerns that COVID-19 could have a big impact on weaker health systems like those in Africa.

However, developed countries with world-class health systems so far have been among the ones hardest hit by virus outbreaks. WHO's 54-nation European region tallied 927,000 cases in its latest weekly count, a new record high.

Dr. Susan Ndidde Nabadda, head of the Ugandan National Health Laboratory Services and Central Public Health Laboratory, suggested that it could take some time to ensure proper authorizations and a high-quality process before rapid diagnostic tests can be applied on a broader scale because "there is no longer really a lot of emergency” in Africa.

Nabadda cited reports indicating that the identification of COVID-19 cases increased in Guinea once the west African country started rolling out the RDTs, noting that "we might see more numbers coming on board” as the tests are deployed more widely.

She said the relative lack of testing in Africa could be one of the reasons why African case counts were lower than in developed countries. WHO announced last month that it and leading partners have agreed on a plan to roll out 120 million rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 to help lower- and middle-income countries to make up ground in a testing gap with richer countries.

The antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests for which the WHO issued an emergency use listing are intended to provide better testing access to areas where it is harder to distribute the PCR tests often in many wealthier nations.

The rapid tests look for antigens, or proteins, found on the surface of the virus. They are generally considered less accurate – though much faster – than PCRs, which are higher-grade genetic tests. PCR tests require processing with specialty lab equipment and chemicals – typically, delivering results to patients takes several days.

RECOMMENDED
A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters File Photo)

Sudan's paramilitary forces take over Khartoum museum

SUDAN
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 23, 2020 6:40 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 outbreak africa coronavirus africa centres for disease control and prevention
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Women look at the window of a clothing shop with words saying "all at half price," in Ankara, Türkiye, Aug. 18, 2022.

    World Bank, OECD up 2023 growth forecasts for Turkish economy

    Turkish-economy
    An oil well is seen in the region of Gabar Mountain in Şırnak province, southeastern Türkiye, May 4, 2023. (IHA Photo)

    New discoveries help lift Türkiye's daily oil output to 32-year high

    energy-market

    Russian citizen dies in shark attack off Egypt's Red Sea coast

    shark-attack

    Hafize Gaye Erkan named Türkiye's new central bank governor

    Turkish-economy
    No Image
    In photos: 1 month after coup in Myanmar
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021