Over 400 people who have been infected by the coronavirus in Africa have now recovered, according to health experts.
The continent has so far recorded over 5,255 cases with deaths now hitting at least 172 across the entire region as at March 31, 2020.
Egypt has 150 people recovering from the pandemic, the highest in Africa, followed by Algeria with 77 recoveries.
Countries like Ghana, Burkina Faso, and South Africa have all recorded at least 31 recoveries.
These cases of recoveries gives home to some who have been in despair for months since the pandemic emerged.
#COVID19 – UPDATE: 31 MARCH 2020 – 10:00 am EAT
African Union Member States (47) reporting COVID-19 cases (5,255), deaths (172), and recoveries (371) by region pic.twitter.com/sOGs2yyOXc— Africa CDC (@AfricaCDC) March 31, 2020
Unlike other continents, Africa has lower rates of infections, deaths as well as recoveries but there are fears the picture can change in the coming weeks.
Details about treatment
There have been no details about treatment system for patients with the virus.
But the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reportedly approved for the use of Chloroquine to treat coronavirus patients.
ECOWAS supports supplementary anti-viral treatment of coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine but said it should be for mild forms of the virus.
That means only patients displaying mild symptoms of the virus can receive hydroxychloroquine treatment for between 5-7 days.
In parts of the sub-region, health experts have been researching on the efficacy of the anti-malarial drug for treating Covid-19.
#COVID19 #FACTS: The #coronavirus is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. pic.twitter.com/jhHGXqMtvx
— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) March 31, 2020
One ECOWAS researcher, Emmanuel Bensah told Africa Feeds that “in Togo, doctors are using Chloroquine to treat patients with the virus.”
Senegal is already experimenting with the drug for patients while Burkina Faso has said it will soon launch clinical trials for testing of Chloroquine as one of the drugs to fight coronavirus.
Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug works in a different way and is given to people to prevent malaria infections if they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the parasite.
The drug works by salts inside them poisoning parasites and preventing them from growing inside human red blood cells.
Source: Africafeeds.com
