Despite not having any confirmed cases on the continent many fear Coronavirus is coming to the shores of Africa. With between 200,000-2,000,000 Chinese currently living in Africa and still many others entering the continent, global health officials feel the virus may be coming soon (Washington Post). In preparation for this, many countries have begun increasing surveillance at entry ports and improving quarantine methods (AP News). While testing methods are also being increased, Africa still has some of the world’s weakest systems for detecting the virus (AP News).
Many workers from the Sino-Zambia Friendship hospital recently traveled between China and Zambia, returning with coughs and fevers, leading to worries of a potential breakout (AP News). The hospital, which has its headquarters in Wuhan, is taking extra precautions such as setting up isolation areas to stop the potential spread of disease (AP News). In addition to this, Ethiopian Airlines is also the only major African airline that has not suspended flights to the country, as they are reluctant to sour their relationship with china (Washington Post). The Coronavirus has yet to hit Africa, but the African CDC has activated emergency operation centers in anticipation of this high-level threat (Reuters).