Coronavirus among sub-Saharan Africa’s top Google searches

Based on Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia’s confirmations of cases of the disease in their respective nations, it is safe to say coronavirus has arrived in Africa.

The growing concerns as a result of this are attracting a lot of search interest in South Africa, Nigeria and across most of sub-Saharan Africa, according to Google.

As such, the company has detailed the top questions Africans are asking Google around coronavirus in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa (arranged by region):

South Africa:

1. What is coronavirus?

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2. What causes coronavirus?

3. How did coronavirus start?

4. How is coronavirus spread?

5. How to prevent coronavirus?

6. How many people have died from coronavirus?

7. Is the coronavirus in South Africa?

8. What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

9. Where is the coronavirus?

10. Where does the coronavirus come from?

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Kenya:

1. What causes coronavirus?

2. How is coronavirus spread?

3. Where did coronavirus originate from?

4. How long does coronavirus take to kill?

5. How did coronavirus start?

6. How is coronavirus transmitted?

7. How does coronavirus kill?

8. How to prevent coronavirus?

9. How to treat coronavirus?

10. How coronavirus spreads?

Nigeria:

1. What is coronavirus?

2. How to prevent coronavirus?

3. What causes coronavirus?

4. What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

5. Is coronavirus in Nigeria?

6. How does coronavirus spread?

7. How did coronavirus start?

8. What is the cure for coronavirus?

9. How is coronavirus contracted?

10. Who brought coronavirus to Nigeria?

While noting the spread of the coronavirus in Africa, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed on Tuesday that South Africa has not recorded a confirmed Covid-19 case to date.

On Monday, AFP reported that Senegal confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus. This is the second confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, where an Italian national reportedly returned with the virus.

“We have noted the increase of Covid-19 cases in the African region and the route of transmissions. An additional country – Senegal – has confirmed its first case from a French national in the past 24 hours,” NICD spokesperson Sinenhlanhla Jimoh said in a statement.

“Working with the African Union and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, South Africa has participated in workshops with fellow member states to expand planning and preparation for Covid-19 within the African region.

“This will strengthen surveillance and integrate the sharing of information regarding Covid-19 in Africa.”

The NICD added that as of Tuesday, 164 tests have been conducted for SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), of which 118 have met the case definition for persons under investigation and all tests have come back negative.

“The NICD confirms that South Africa has not had a confirmed Covid-19 case to date,” Jimoh said.

He added the NICD would continue to intensify monitoring, engagement and training of healthcare professionals across South Africa to increase the response and detection of the coronavirus.

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho, additional reporting by News24 Wire)

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