FEATURE: Covid-19 turns one – a grim milestone

African leaders made a few tough decisions early on, which many say bought the continent time and avoided large-scale contagion.

CAPE TOWN, November 18 (ANA) – It has been exactly one year since the very first case of the novel coronavirus was discovered in China.

According to media reports, the first case of someone suffering from Covid-19 can be traced back to November 17, 2019, weeks before the Chinese authorities officially acknowledged the new virus that would later kill more than 1.3 million people around the world and infect 56 million and counting.

British news outlet the Guardian says the Chinese government was widely criticised for its attempts to cover up the outbreak in the early weeks, which included crackdowns on doctors who tried to warn colleagues about a new Sars-like virus which was emerging in the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic.

Nobody was safe and nobody could have predicted the events that were to follow.

The pandemic has crippled economies, devastated health sectors and altered life for millions of people around the world.

As the international community caught wind of the novel coronavirus, governments implemented various restrictions to reduce its spread, including suspending air travel, encouraging working from home, implementing curfews and making wearing a mask mandatory, to name a few.

The virus finally made landfall in Africa in mid-February.

International media houses predicted mass devastation and millions of deaths, because of the continent’s poor health systems, but this wasn’t the case.

Yes, Africa might not have the best health systems when compared against the US or Europe, but what Africa does have is experience in handling health crises.

African leaders made a few tough decisions early on, which many say bought the continent time and avoided large-scale contagion.

Leaders worked swiftly and effectively, taking note of what was happening abroad.

So what is Africa’s next challenge in combating Covid-19?

With a vaccine on the horizon, the race is on for authorities to ensure equitable distribution.

Despite lower case numbers on the continent, Africa must be prioritised to receive access to a vaccine.

As experts continue to study the virus as it evolves, only time will tell whether any sense of normality will return for millions of people across the world.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher