In east Africa, for instance, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are collaborating on various measures to curb the spread of the disease, with the countries agreeing that truck drivers getting into their countries must be tested every 14 days.

In the medicine front, African researchers have stepped up the search for a vaccine against the disease, with scientists in South Africa on Monday vaccinating hundreds of health workers with 100-year-old tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in a clinical trial in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trial will determine if a booster shot of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) reduces the probability of COVID-19 infection and the severity of the symptoms.

In Kenya, researchers are seeking approvals to conduct trials to determine if certain antiretroviral drugs, as well as anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and Lopinavir/ritonavir, also used on HIV patients, can effectively treat COVID-19 patients in the East African nation.

The impact of COVID-19 on economies of the continent is substantial and would be long-term, said Mang'unyi.

Most economies of African nations, according to him, will be hit harder by the disease.

"World Bank forecasts that Sub-Saharan Africa will suffer its first recession in 25 years. This means industries and organizations are closing shop and no more jobs are being created, thus, people are losing their livelihoods. It is a catastrophic situation and economies will definitely take a longer time to recover, maybe up to three years or so," said Mang'unyi.

【国际英语资讯:COVID-19 cases surpass 50,000 in Africa as action needed to stem spread】相关文章：

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