Epidemiologo;
Neurologo.
Epidemiol Prev. 2020 Sep-Dec;44(5-6 Suppl 2):408-422. doi: 10.19191/EP20.5-6.S2.146.
COVID has stirred up an information deluge that challenges our capacity to absorb and make sense of data. In this unrelenting flow of information, Africa has been largely off the radar, escaping the attention of the scientific literature and the media. International agencies have been the exception: despite the still low numbers of cases and deaths, they have voiced concerns, often in catastrophic terms, on the health, economic and social impacts of COVID in African countries. These concerns contrast sharply with the optimistic view that Africa may be spared the worst consequences of the pandemic.This paper provides a snapshot of a crisis in evolution: its features could change as new data become available and our understanding improves. The paper examines the epidemic trends, the health impact, the containment measures and their possible side effects. Africa has a long experience of responding to epidemics: relevant lessons learned are outlined. The picture of the epidemic and its narrative are heterogenous, given the differing vulnerabilities of African countries and the diverse contexts within their borders. The paper, therefore, singles out selected countries as illustrative of specific situations and advocates for a transnational and subnational approach to future analyses.The virus has shown a strong capacity to adapt; therefore, a response strategy, in order to be effective, needs to be flexible and able to adapt to changes. The paper concludes with the recommendation that affected communities should be engaged in the response, to maintain or build trust. A lesson from the Ebola outbreak of a few years ago was that epidemiologists and community leaders learned, after initial difficulties, how to dialogue and work together.A summary update of the pandemic has been added, in view of its fast evolution.
新冠疫情引发了信息洪流，挑战了我们吸收和理解数据的能力。在这源源不断的信息流中，非洲在很大程度上被忽视了，没有引起科学界和媒体的关注。国际机构是个例外：尽管病例和死亡人数仍然较低，但它们对非洲国家新冠疫情对健康、经济和社会的影响表示了担忧，这些担忧常常是灾难性的。这些担忧与非洲可能免受大流行最坏后果的乐观观点形成鲜明对比。本文提供了一个正在演变的危机的快照：随着新数据的出现和我们的理解的提高，其特征可能会发生变化。本文探讨了疫情趋势、健康影响、遏制措施及其可能的副作用。非洲在应对疫情方面有着丰富的经验：概述了相关的经验教训。鉴于非洲国家的脆弱性不同，以及其国内情况的多样性，疫情的情况和叙述是多种多样的。因此，本文挑选了一些国家作为特定情况的代表，并倡导采取跨国和国家以下级别的方法进行未来分析。该病毒具有很强的适应能力；因此，为了有效，应对策略需要灵活，能够适应变化。本文最后建议让受疫情影响的社区参与应对，以保持或建立信任。几年前埃博拉疫情的一个教训是，流行病学家和社区领导人在最初的困难之后，学会了如何进行对话和合作。鉴于疫情的快速演变，本文增加了对疫情的最新总结。
