Africa has so far recorded 913 recoveries from the deadly coronavirus as at April 7, 2020 out of some 10,000 cases.
But the recoveries have been high in two major regions on the continent – north and west, according to latest figures from health experts.
North Africa leads with 437 recoveries followed closely by West Africa with 348 recoveries as at April 7, 2020.
These two sub-regions are the only ones with over 100 recoveries with the rest of the continent recording less than 100 recoveries each.
Egypt with 259 recoveries has the largest number so far as a single country, followed by Burkina Faso with 108 recoveries.
#COVID19-UPDATE IN AFRICA: 7 APRIL 2020 – 9:00 am EAT.
52 @_AfricanUnion Member States reporting 10,075 COVID-19 cases, 487 deaths, and 913 recoveries.More information on https://t.co/fvcEaCHn37#COVID19 #FactsNotFear #AfricaResponds pic.twitter.com/xMPLvtKg7a
— Africa CDC (@AfricaCDC) April 7, 2020
No clarity on treatment
It is still not clear what form of treatment is being provided patients across the continent.
But some African countries have started using chloroquine to treat coronavirus patients.
The Kenyan government has already approved the use of the anti-malarial drug to treat patients.
Meanwhile in Ghana, the country’s health minister, Kweku Agyeman-Manu said on Wednesday that he has given approval for the anti-malarial drug to be used for treating covid-19 patients.
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.
WHO says Africa will not be a testing ground for any vaccine
The drug works by salts inside them poisoning parasites and preventing them from growing inside human red blood cells.
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.
