World Heart Federation briefing on prevention : coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in low-income countries

Abstract

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak started in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China. Since then it has spread to many other regions, including low-income countries. The coronavirus was named SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and has spread to 78 countries (including many low-income countries), with a total of 92,818 confirmed cases globally as of 3 March 2020. On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a ‘public health emergency of international concern’. The first ten cases have now been reported in Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal). The spread onto the African continent is of great concern for multiple reasons. Large and densely populated areas and townships with widespread poverty and high migration are the most vulnerable populations for airborne pandemics. Moreover, existing epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB) and malaria are likely to collide with COVID-19 and may lead to an increased morbidity and mortality – not reported yet from affected countries. In addition, the wide spread of non-communicable diseases in Africa, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, hypertension and diabetes are known risk factors for severe causes of COVID-19.