Nigerian authorities have reported the first case of the new coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa as the outbreak spreads to a region with some of the world's weakest health systems.
in sub-Saharan Africa as the outbreak spread to a region with some of the world’s weakest health systems.
“I have seen him this morning, he is in high spirits,” said Dr. Bowale Abimbola, medical director of the hospital where the 44-year-old Italian was brought with body aches and fever. “He is doing well and we expect that he will continue to do well.”Nigerian health authorities urged Lagos residents to take measures such as keeping their distance from people who cough and washing their hands regularly.
Nigeria is one of 13 African countries classified by the WHO as high priority in this outbreak because of direct links to China or a high number of visitors from there.
Most African airlines with direct flights to China quickly suspended them, and countries activated surveillance and quarantine measures. “The Ebola outbreak taught us a lot of lessons,” the director of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, wrote in a commentary for the Conversation last month. As of December, all 36 of Nigeria’s states had a rapid response team in case of a disease outbreak, he wrote, and 22 states had emergency operations centers.
Separately, South Africa said two citizens who had been working on the Princess Diamond cruise ship have the virus and will stay in Japan for treatment. South Africa said it was informed by Japanese authorities Tuesday after the quarantine on the ship ended.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
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