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With 2,013,388 cases reported on Thursday, the continent accounts for less than 4% of total cases in the world.
Total coronavirus cases in Africa surpassed the two million mark despite a slow addition of reported infections compared to other regions of the world, the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
With the African Union health agency reporting 2,013,388 cases on Thursday, the continent now accounts for less than 4% of total cases in the world, which many experts believe to be undercounting.
They believe many COVID-19 infections and related deaths in Africa could be lost as the continent’s testing rates of around 1.3 billion people are among the lowest in the world, and many deaths of all types are not recorded.
Africa has reported fewer than 48,000 coronavirus deaths so far.
Countries like Sudan, Chad and Egypt reported the highest death rates across the continent at 7.81%, 6.28%, and 5.82%, respectively.
South Africa has the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported on the continent at less than 750,000, with a death rate of 2.71 percent, according to a Reuters tally.
With the continent accounting for nearly 16.7% of the world’s population, around 15 cases of coronavirus are reported for every 10,000 people.
The fewer infections and deaths in Africa than in Europe, South America and the United States can be partly attributed to several factors in addition to a likely underestimation.
The virus hit Africa later than other continents, giving medical staff time to set up field hospitals, stock up on oxygen and ventilators, and learn from treatment improvements.
South Africa introduced one of the toughest lockdowns in the world in late March, when the country had only confirmed 400 cases.
Experts also point out the continent’s demographics.
The risk of developing severe COVID-19 increases with age, so the continent’s relatively young population likely contributes to a lower overall mortality rate, experts say.
African governments also have experience in fighting deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola, which killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa from 2013 to 2016.
So officials have noticed when the new coronavirus started spreading around the world, and many have put in place early measures to curb the spread.
More recently, however, the pandemic is having an effect on other vital health services in Africa as countries are forced to redirect already depleted resources, a regional head of the World Health Organization said.
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