NIGERIA: First coronavirus infection case in sub-Saharan Africa

On 28 February, Nigerian authorities confirmed the first coronavirus case in Lagos, the country’s economic capital. The infected Italian expatriate had arrived on a flight from Milan on 25 February and visited several sites in the city before admitting himself to a local hospital on 27 February. The first coronavirus case in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) raises fears that the virus might quickly spread across the continent due to weak institutions and poorly-equipped healthcare systems. While Nigerian authorities successfully prevented the 2014-2016 West African Ebola pandemic from spreading to the country, persons infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus often show little obvious symptoms, which will make it more difficult to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Health officials in Lagos have demonstrated their ability to act swiftly and decisively before. In July 2014, they successfully prevented the spread of the West African Ebola outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. When an infected man had landed from Liberia, he was quickly isolated, and due to fast and thorough tracing of all potential contacts, their monitoring, and rapid isolation, only 19 people got infected altogether. In October 2014, Nigeria was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization. Since then, measures to detect and prevent infectious diseases have been strengthened across Nigeria’s 36 states. Across SSA, the Africa Centre for Disease Control (ACDC), which was created in response to the Ebola outbreak, coordinates training and emergency response measures. Nevertheless, the detection of COVID-19 cases will pose a bigger challenge than during the Ebola outbreak. For instance, in the case in question, the Italian businessman showed no symptoms when disembarking at Lagos International Airport and is officially reported as “clinically stable, with no serious symptoms” as of 28 February 2020. Despite the previous absence of officially reported COVID-19 cases in SSA, it is therefore entirely possible that infected persons have already entered the continent and spread the virus in several countries. Despite the creation of the ACDC, weak institutions, a shortage of trained staff, and healthcare systems that struggle to provide basic care outside major urban centers prevail, underscoring this point.

February 28, 2020

NIGERIA: First coronavirus infection case in sub-Saharan Africa

BY Malte Liewerscheidt

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February 28, 2020

NIGERIA: First coronavirus infection case in sub-Saharan Africa

BY Malte Liewerscheidt

Report Contents

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