By Nina Mitch
The first case of the COVID19 case was recorded on March 10 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but within a month 20 patients have succumbed due to the Coronavirus aka COVID19.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa has reached 11,943 with at least 608 deaths reported, the World Health Organization’s Africa office said on Friday.
South Africa is the leading country with the highest number of COVID-19 patients at 1,934 followed by Algeria at 1,666 and Cameron with 730 cases.
The Data shows Algeria has the highest number of deaths standing at 235, followed by Egypt at 103. Other countries that have reported many fatalities from the virus include Morocco (96), Tunisia (24), DR Congo (20), Burkina Faso (19) and South Africa (18).
According to the response team, the DRC has recorded 215 cases and 13 recoveries. Apart from the capital Kinshasa, 4 other provinces are affected: North Kivu, South Kivu, Kwilu and Ituri.
The mortality rate of this disease in the DRC is around 10%, yet the virus started a month ago. beginning. According to one attending physician, the majority of patients who have died are those who kept the symptoms at home and arrived almost dying in the hospital.
Talk Africa managed to speak to one of the Doctors attending to COVID19 patients and seeking anonymity he noted “One of the patients who tested positive for COVID19 chose to stay at home instead of being hospitalized and died while being taken to hospital for medical care when her condition worsened” he said.
Adding “Another patient arrived at the hospital in critical condition and died an hour after the samples were taken, The lab results came out three days later confirming that he was infected with COVID19 and that it was COVID19 that would have aggravated his situation,” said the Doctor.
It is alleged that the first two cases reported in the DRC were declared cured after providing them with symptomatic treatment combined with empirical antibiotic therapy because their cases were benign and did not require respiratory assistance, severe cases are often cases that present with a medical history, these patients are treated using chloroquine while most patients had other underltying conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, and asthma.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID19 is increasingly rising, and public hospitals where the patients are hospitalized are faced with the problems of insufficient respirators and lack of protective equipment for health care personnel. “This does not allow good management of patients presenting serious forms of Coronavirus”, complained several doctors seeking anonymity.
While other workers in the Republic have significantly reduced their work pace and some are working from home, doctors are on the front line and are multiplying their working hours to meet the need for medical care.
They complain that only promises were made no special measures have been taken for them by the government to improve their living and working conditions
DRC is currently on partial lockdown, as the government has shut down its capital Kinshasa, Gombe municipality, the main commercial hub and the epicenter of COVID19 are quarantined from April 6-20. All residents are required to remain in their homes in order to contain the spread of the virus.
All land borders, airports, and maritime ports of entry have been closed to passenger, transit Commercial and freight transport are able to continue under heightened screening measures.
Movement restrictions between Kinshasa and other provinces have been stopped including all domestic flights, as well as road and river transport between Kinshasa and the provinces, which has been indefinitely suspended for passenger traffic.
Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions.
Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections surpassed 1.61 million, with the death toll above 96,700, while more than 361,300 people have recovered so far.
