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There are many kinds of coronaviruses, and some can cause disease. A newly identified type has caused an outbreak of respiratory illness now called COVID-19. Coronaviruses are named for their appearance: Under a microscope, the viruses look like they are covered with pointed structures that surround them like a corona, or crown. COVID-19 can be passed from person to person through droplets from coughs and sneezes, says Lauren Sauer, director of operations with the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response. COVID-19 has been detected in people all over the world. So far, symptoms appear to be showing…

What is a vaccine? A vaccine is a small, but harmless amount of a virus injected to stimulate the body’s immune system to develop a response to the illness called an antibody. The production of antibodies protects the person from future exposure. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Vaccines contain the same germs that cause disease. (For example, measles vaccine contains measles virus, and Hib vaccine contains Hib bacteria.) But they have been either killed or weakened to the point that they don’t make you sick. Some vaccines contain only a part of the disease germ.”…

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and different species of animals, including bats, camels, cats, cattle and pangolins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States says that rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread among other people. Such was the case with Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, which first appeared in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which first was identified in China in 2003, also is a coronavirus, as is COVID-19, which first was identified in China in late 2019. COVID-19, like…

ADF STAFF As COVID-19 continues to spread across Africa and the world, people will have to rely on a strict regimen of personal sanitation and social distancing practices to prevent becoming infected, at least until a vaccine or reliable medicinal treatment can be found. The African Union, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other health authorities recommend a series of steps that begins with diligent hand-washing. Everyone should wash their hands thoroughly and frequently for at least 40 seconds with soap under running water. The washing should include both sides of the hands, the thumbs, the fingertips,…

ADF STAFF As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Africa, national health authorities may need to impose quarantines and containment measures to isolate people who have been in contact with those infected. The World Health Organization (WHO) has devised a list of guidelines for COVID-19 quarantines. A summary of these measures is below. The full guidance can be found at this website: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/considerations-for-quarantine-of-individuals-in-the-context-of-containment-for-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19) A quarantine involves restricting the movements of healthy people who may have been exposed to the virus or separating them from the rest of the population so authorities can monitor their symptoms and detect illness early. Quarantines must…

A 57-year-old shrimp dealer at a Wuhan, China, “wet market” started out thinking she had a cold, but she became one of the first known people to contract SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in December 2019. Doctors said her illness was “ruthless” — and that she was not alone. About two dozen people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market had tested positive for COVID-19, according to The Economic Times, an Indian newspaper. The infections point to the wet market as a source. In the busy Wuhan market, and others like it worldwide, live animals are kept in cages…

Somalia has sent a team of doctors to Italy to help fight the COVID-19 in one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries. About 20 doctors from Somali National University in Mogadishu took a charter flight to Rome. The aid is in response to appeals from the Italian government for international assistance. Doctors from Cuba and several other nations responded to the request, the news site Garowe Online reported. “The 20 doctors have already been registered in Italy and are expected to team up with some doctors from across the world to help Italy to contain the novel coronavirus,” Somali government spokesman Ismail…

Senegal continues to take dramatic steps in fighting the coronavirus, with researchers beginning validation trials on a COVID-19 diagnostic test that can be done at home. The test, expected to be a blood prick, can produce results in as little as 10 minutes, and could cost as little as $1. The country has been notably aggressive in taking on the virus. It was the first Sub-Saharan nation to close its schools. Al-Jazeera reported that Senegal is working with scientists in the United Kingdom to manufacture the tests in Senegal and the U.K. If the trials are successful, the tests could…

Areas with Risk of Yellow Fever Virus Transmission in Africa

Africa at the Crossroads of Illicit Trafficking ADF STAFF Photos by Reuters Commercial trade has expanded rapidly in Africa in recent years. Many countries boast double-digit gross domestic product growth driven by globalization, new technology and an expanding domestic middle class. Ports, airports and highways are being built at a record pace on much of the continent. However, this growth has a downside. Criminal syndicates, terrorists and traffickers are taking advantage of legitimate commercial channels. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), transnational organized crime generates $1.5 trillion in profits globally each year. Many of the…