Cameroon Records its First Coronavirus Case

Cameroon on Friday confirmed its first coronavirus (Covid-19) case, the fourth incident in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cameroon Public Health Minister Dr. Manaouda Malachie in a statement said the patient is a 58-year-old French national who arrived in the capital, Yaounde on February 24th.

Manaouda said the patient has been isolated at the Yaounde Central Hospital for appropriate treatment.

“Active surveillance measures put in place by the country since the occurrence of the COVID-19 has made it possible to detect this case,” the minister’s statement said.

“All measures are being taken by the government to contain the possible risks of the spread of the virus.” 

This is the fourth case in sub-Saharan Africa and the first in the Central African sub-region. Other diagnoses in sub-Saharan Africa were confirmed in Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa.

The disease originated in China’s Wuhan city late last year and has spread to over 70 countries including the US, the UK, Italy, France, and Germany.

The deadly virus has infected over 96,000 people globally and killed more than 3,000, a majority of them in mainland China.