A response team should be at JKIA, she passed through the cracks

In the past, other major epidemics or pandemics with origins outside Africa have also seen significant delays in reaching the continent, and have reached in much smaller numbers compared to other regions.

For instance, in 2002-2003, SARS entered Africa 5 months after it first spread in China, with South Africa becoming the 17th country in the world to report. No other country on the continent reported a case thereafter.
In 2009, H1N1 reached 60 countries outside of Africa before Egypt reported its first case two months after its initial discovery in Mexico. H1N1 eventually spread to 41 African countries, with over 8000 cases and 160 deaths on the continent. Overall, the deaths across Africa represented 1% of the total reported deaths worldwide.

We are seeing exactly the same patterns with COVID19, simply repeated in a new decade.

Why? Africa is simply less connected to the rest of the world, including China, especially in people-to-people flows. While the Lancet study helpfully explored which countries within Africa do have stronger links to China in terms of tourism flows in particular, what the authors didn’t do was put that in context.

Africa gets approximately 5% of global tourism flows, and an even smaller 4% of China’s tourists.

There are also flows of workers to Africa from all other areas of the world, including China, but these are also fairly insignificant.
Of the total Chinese workers that went abroad to deliver projects in 2017, only 16% went to Africa, and 23% of those went to one country – Algeria.
In this context, the reason why Africa is not yet being strongly affected by COVID19 is not that the continent is somehow more resilient, or that screening from flights and other necessary detection and management tools are poor.


Right now, African countries are, as they have been with other epidemics in past decades, effectively “onlookers” with regards to COVID19 because its relationship with both China and the rest of the world is far behind others.

More evidence for this has been provided by the fact that the seven African countries that have been affected so far have relatively more developed tourism sectors and/or more international residents.

Only four were on the list of 11 “vulnerable” African countries identified by the aforementioned Lancet study, and only two on a similar WHO list of “vulnerable” African countries that have been prioritised for screening and other preparedness support (although this low number is partly due to the fact that WHO classifies some of the North African countries as outside of the “Africa” region).

So, what now? Can the other 48 African countries not yet affected relax? Can those with the fewest international links on the continent reduce their preparation efforts?

The answer to that is they absolutely must not relax. History suggests that now, once on the continent, the virus may spread across borders. Only yesterday, Algeria reported four new confirmed cases of the virus, the first cases not “imported” from elsewhere.

The time for all African countries to get seriously prepared is right now.

The WHO, the AU and others need to extend their support across the continent, rethinking their original modeling beyond the initial 13 “priority” countries, and ensuring there is very clear, consistent messaging on how to measure and contain the virus – both to governments and the public.

Every year I contract the common flu coutless times. I never stop to do my usual business. It has brought panic around the world just because a certain race is more vulnerable than others. We forget that the BBI is more dangerous to us than even all the viruses combined.
Let us be told that more flugone and panadol extra will be available and let's contine with our parte after parte

@Murchr my fear is that we don't go the US way. Those people have become so political they don't seem to realize that they will be the hardest hit country in the whole world.

What we need Mutahi Kagwe to do is take a plane to South Korea, Singapore and Nigeria. If he can't then go camp at their embassies. Then remind the Chinese that we didn't chase their aeroplane as Alai wanted us to do.

These countries have gone the route of testing everyone including the pet mouse their homes. The scientific way without the racist methods of shutting down borders. You test as many people as you can, inform those that have it to isolate themselves, then have the gov't take care of the very sick.

That method has worked. Actually the statistics are day and night. Those that use scientific methods to contain this thing are coming to a plateau. Those on the other hand spending the whole day politicking are dying and numbers rising daily.

We need the gov't to quickly fund testing for as many Kenyans as possible. f*** the BBI, fake stadiums and even paying suppliers. and even that big five. Pay for testing kits. Borrow from the damn Chinese if you have to.

That's the only thing I have seen working worldwide.

Hii ingine of politicking and blaming sijui who is killing those Americans daily. Lord have mercy if that crazy president already has it. Today he blamed Obama.

Let's get tested as soon as is practically possible. Siasa baadaye.