COVID-19 Disease Pandemic in the 21st Century: As Africa Braces up for the Disease What Needs to be known

Abstract

It was on 7th of January 2020 that China announced an outbreak of a form of strange pneumonia among her people in Wuhan Hubei province and little did the global community anticipate that the announcement would turn out to be a global nightmare within 60 days; COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-COV-2 a beta-Coronavirus. This study was therefore set up to review the present impact of COVID-19 pandemic in presentations and drug management along with clinical presentations and suggest best approach for Africa. Study was carried out based on available information, data, records and published scientific works from electronic and print media, social media and communications, newsletters and broadcasts. Data and information was obtained from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2020 and relevant information such as evolution of Coronaviruses, clinical presentation of SARS-COV-2 infections, laboratory diagnosis, drugs on therapeutic trial for COVID-19 and control models from different endemic countries were compiled. Data obtained was analysed using simple quantitative and qualitative methods. Coronaviruses were first discovered to be human pathogens in 1965 and the first strain to cause disease was CoV-NL-63 that caused only mild respiratory symptoms and SARS-COV-2 SARS-COV-2 is a long term evolutionary mutant of a mild CoV-NL-63 and has no relationship with 5G radiations in the present COVID-19 pandemic. Fever, difficulty in breathing, tiredness and dizziness accounted for 97.3% (n=2,713), 88.6% (n=2,470), 66.2% (n=1,846), 62.7% (n=1,748), and 32.5% (n=906) respectively of the clinical presentation, and gastrointestinal features ranged from 11% to 22%. Rate of specimen positivity from infected individuals showed that bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, sputum, nasal swabs and fibrobronchoscope brush biopsy specimens would give 93%, 72%, 63% and 46% positivity respectively. Drugs on therapeutic trials for SARS-CoV-2 infections across the globe include: chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin, remdesevir, actemra, kevzara, convalescent plasma, avigan, TAK-888, and antibody treatment among others all with mixed degrees of success in different parts of the world. We therefore recommend an Afrocentric control model with the following components: wearing of face mask, proper hand washing with soap and water, sanitizers, avoid reflex hand touch on the face, eyes or picking nose, avoid unhealthy cultural practices like handshakes, observe social distancing, regular habit of removing cloaks or outer wears outside the house, regular steam inhalation and drinking of hot fluids. Hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin should be readily available for mass treatment.