The mystery behind low Covid-19 cases in Africa

Medics check temperatures of Kibera residents in Nairobi, Kenya. [AFP]

The first African coronavirus case was confirmed in Egypt. 11 days later, the first case in sub-Saharan Africa was recorded in Nigeria after an Italian man who had travelled to the West African country tested positive.

Since then, Africa’s curve of infections has exhibited an abnormal pattern compared to other countries such as the United States which had its first case on January 15 and by the beginning of March, only 70 cases had been reported with scanty testing being done at the time. More than 1,000 deaths have been reported in the global superpower with other days recording more than 2,000. The country now has the 644,188 confirmed cases and 28, 579 deaths, the highest in the world.