COVID-19: THE WEST VERSUS BLACK AFRICA
The arrival of coronavirus (COVID-19) from China in December 2019, took everybody by surprise. Not many people, including the so-called experts from Western Europe and the United States of America, envisaged the magnitude it would take. They greeted it with a mere wave of hand, thinking that the disease would not have any effect on them.
Now, coronavirus is taking its toll on the countries of Western Europe and the United States of America. At the last count, over one million people have been infected from these countries, with more than 60,000 deaths.
When it was reported that coronavirus has entered Africa, these Western countries wasted no time in despatching their airplanes to the continent to evacuate their nationals, thinking that Africa had no hope, and that the pandemic would be most devastating on the continent.
While coronavirus is still ravaging the entire world, so far, Africa and in particular, black Africa, is not doing so badly in managing the pandemic. For instance, as at 10 pm, Wednesday, April 8, 2020, the picture of COVID-19 infections in some leading countries of Western Europe and the United States of America vis-à-vis some black African countries stood as follows:
* The United States of America – 428,901 confirmed cases, 23,229 recoveries, and 14,600 deaths.
* Spain – 148,220 cases, 48,021 recoveries, and 14,793 deaths.
* Italy – 139,422 cases, 26,491 recoveries, and 17,699 deaths.
* Germany – 114,067 cases, 32,814 recoveries, and 2,256 deaths.
* United Kingdom – 60,733 cases, no recovery, and 7,097 deaths.
On the other hand, coronavirus cases in some black African countries are as follows:
* Cameroun – 685 cases, 60 recoveries, and 9 deaths.
*Burkina Faso – 384 cases, 127 recoveries, and 19 deaths.
* Côte D’Ivore – 349 cases, 41 recoveries, and 3 deaths.
* Ghana – 287 cases, 31recoveries, and 8 deaths.
*Nigeria – 276 cases, 44 recoveries, and 6 deaths.
* Senegal – 237 cases, 105 recoveries, and 2 deaths.
Therefore, from the samples above, we can see that so far, coronavirus is not as catastrophic in black Africa as the western countries had thought. Black Africa is also better placed in managing coronavirus case, as can be seen from the death rate presented above, and the number of people that have recovered.
Look at the almighty United States of America, with over 14,000 deaths, and less than six percent recoveries, or the United Kingdom, that was not able to record any single recovery.
The problem with Africa, particularly African leaders, is inferiority complex. Many of them do not believe that they have the capability or the competence to manage their own affairs. That was why they would always rush to Europe and America to seek solution to even their minute ailments, like headache and fever.
Now, we have invited the Chinese to come and help us fight coronavirus. But China had recorded over 81,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 3,000 deaths. Let’s watch and see the magic they would do in Nigeria.
Dr. Dons Eze.
