A lengthy report in the New York Times stresses the absolutely disastrous situation facing Africa as it is hit with what is described as the “second wave” of the epidemic. During the last few months, it was generally reported that the epidemic was not as serious In Africa as what we have experienced in the U.S. and in Europe, although the dearth of statistics and information coming from some parts of the continent may have caused a good deal of skepticism over these claims. And it’s very possible that many cases simply went undetected. But now the disaster is at hand – and readily apparent.
The report is authored by Sheri Fink, a New York Times reporter who has written extensively on health and medicine and covered the Ebola crisis. In South Africa, the epidemic is spreading from Port Elizabeth to the entire country. Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda recorded their highest daily death count in the year. In South Africa, they admit that they really don’t know how many people have died from COVID. One government analysis shows that more than twice as many excess deaths simply could not be explained by the number of confirmed COVID cases. “We don’t know what the real number is,” said Dr. John Black, the only infectious disease specialist for adults in Port Elizabeth.
The greatest number of COVID cases and deaths has been in South Africa, where the hospital system has been stretched beyond its limits. This includes cases which are suspected of being of the new mutated variety now found in Great Britain.
At the beginning of the epidemic early in the year, the African countries had instituted strong restrictive measures and lockdowns, but the measures proved to be so economically problematic that they began to ease up. South Africa brought in 200 physicians from Cuba, medical staff from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and scientists from the WHO. By late August, the numbers had dropped.
