Africa's Cumulative COVID-19 Cases Surpass 500,000

A man is spraying hand sanitizer to prevent the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to commuters at a taxi stand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The cumulative number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Africa has surpassed 500,000.

According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the 8th (local time), as of the 7th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases on the African continent was 508,086. Among them, the cumulative number of deaths was 11,955, and the number of recovered patients was 245,068.

South Africa, the country with the highest number of infections, recorded more than 10,000 new daily confirmed cases again on this day, emerging as one of the new global hotspots.

However, there are also claims that the confirmed cases exceeding 500,000 are a significantly underestimated figure compared to the actual number of infections. This is because diagnostic testing equipment is lacking in most of the 54 countries on the African continent, and testing is concentrated only in the capitals of each country.

Additionally, due to the poor healthcare system, more than 2,000 healthcare workers are currently infected with the virus, according to AP News citing the World Health Organization (WHO). This week alone, healthcare workers in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Congo, Sierra Leone, and other countries have staged strikes or protests demanding personal protective equipment and better wages.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.