Assessing differential impacts of COVID-19 on African countries: a comparative study

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume V, Issue IX, September 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

 Assessing differential impacts of COVID-19 on African countries: a comparative study

Joseph Oyepata Simeon^1*, Builders Modupe², Joseph Opeyemi Tosin³, Sabastine Aliyu Zubairu^4
1,2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicolology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
³Department of Pharmacy, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
⁴Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gombe State University, Gombe State, Nigeria
Corresponding Author*

Abstract: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. A number of deaths have been recorded across world. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the extent the virus affects Africa relative to other parts of the world and it significant.
Fifty five countries were selected randomly based on their continents and cases of infection. Data from each country were obtained from United Nations Geoscheme and WHO and were analyzed and compared to that of the United State of America (USA). USA was used as a Comparism Factor (CF) because it has one of the best healthcare system and high COVID-19 cases. Subsequent examination of associations between the proportion of COVID-19 cases, recovery and deaths of each country to the United State of America was carried out. All data used in these analyses are from publicly available data sets. Data analyzed revealed that with exception of South Africa, Africa appears to be least affected by the virus. African countries have the least infected, more recovery and lesser number of deaths index.
Result from the study suggests that the virus affect Africa the least when compared to USA and other continents in terms of cases and mortality. This may be due to among other factors a more robust immune response. The result also helps to provide insight as to how significant developing and providing vaccine may be to this part of the world.

Keyword: Africa, USA, COVID-19, Nigeria, continent

I. INTRODUCTION

Coronaviruses are members of the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales, and realm Riboviria1,2. They are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry2. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 26 to 32 kilobases, one of the largest among RNA viruses2,3. Coronavirus, any virus belonging to the family Coronaviridae. Coronaviruses have enveloped virions (virus particles) that measure approximately 120 nm (1 nm = 10−9 metre) in diameter. Club-shaped glycoprotein spikes in the envelope give the viruses a crownlike, or coronal, appearance. The nucleocapsid, made up of a protein shell known as a capsid and containing the viral nucleic acids, is helical or tubular4,5,6. The coronavirus genome consists of a single strand of positive-

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