Virus third wave leaves Africa hospitals swamped

A third wave of COVID-19 is spreading at an alarming rate in Africa, with hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Zambia overwhelmed with patients, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"The third wave peak is brutal and swift and remarkably higher than the second wave. It has come in with severity that most countries were not prepared for. In Zambia, it took three to four weeks for the country to be overwhelmed," said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC.

"This is the first time we are beginning to see countries report that their hospitals are completely overwhelmed."

Nkengasong said 20 countries across Africa are in the middle of the COVID-19 third wave.

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi said on June 12 that hospitals in the country's capital Kinshasa had been overrun by a rise in infections.

The country reimposed stricter COVID-19 restrictions, including limiting gatherings to 20 people, and announced a curfew between 10 pm and 4 am. Incoming travelers are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at least 72 hours before arrival.

Uganda reimposed a 42-day lockdown on June 19. All schools, learning institutions, places of worship and sports events will be closed. A nationwide curfew starting from 7 pm to 5:30 am will be observed. All cross-boundary district and intra-district movement of public and private transport has been suspended for 42 days.

Judging from the current rate of infections, the World Health Organization projects the ongoing surge will surpass the previous one by early July. The UN agency attributes the new surge to a combination of factors including weak observance of public health measures, increased social interaction and movement as well as the spread of variants.

The Delta variant first identified in India has been detected in most samples sequenced in the past month in the DR Congo and Uganda. The variant has been reported in 14 countries across Africa.

More contagious variant

"The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster, hitting harder. With rapidly rising case numbers and increasing reports of serious illness, the latest surge threatens to be Africa's worst yet," Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, said on Thursday in a news briefing.

"Africa can still blunt the impact of these fast-rising infections, but the window of opportunity is closing. Everyone everywhere can do their bit by taking precautions to prevent transmission."

Nkengasong urged African Union member states to continue implementing the strategy endorsed by health ministers on May 8, underpinned by enhanced approaches to prevent, monitor, and treat the disease.

He also expressed the need for the continent to urgently scale up vaccinations.