Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria top COVID-19 cases in West Africa

Data from World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that no fewer than 27, 124 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded in Africa, with Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria having the highest number of infections in West Africa.

According to the data, a total of 6,525 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded in the West African region as of 10am on April 24.

A breakdown of the data showed that of the 6,525 cases, 171 patients died while 1,948 have recovered.

Ivory Coast has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region with 1,279 confirmed infections, 10 deaths, and 134 recoveries.

On its part, Ghana recorded the second-highest COVID-19 cases with 1,004 confirmed infections, 14 deaths, and 359 discharges.

Nigeria, which has the third-highest COVID-19 cases, has recorded 981 confirmed infections, 31 deaths, and 197 recoveries.

Burkina Faso has the highest deaths from coronavirus-related complications with 41 fatalities, followed by Nigeria (31) and Niger (24).

According to the data, Benin has recorded 54 confirmed cases, Burkina Faso – 616, Cape Verde – 82, (The) Gambia – 10, Ghana – 1,154, Guinea – 862, Guinea-Bissau – 50, Ivory Coast – 1,004, Liberia – 101, Mali – 309, Niger – 671, Nigeria- 981, Senegal – 479, Sierra Leone – 64 and Togo – 88.

The data also showed that COVID-19 has spread to the 15 countries in West Africa with Gambia recording the least COVID-19 cases.

Nigeria’s cases constituted 5.62 per of the total confirmed infections in Africa after recording 108 new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control while announcing the new cases said the country currently has 753 active cases across 24 states and the FCT, Abuja.

It tweeted, “On the 23rd of April 2020, 108 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria. Till date, 981 cases have been confirmed, 197 cases have been discharged and 31 deaths have been recorded in Nigeria.

“The 108 new cases are reported from eight states – Lagos (78), Federal Capital Territory/Abuja (14), Ogun (5), Gombe (four), Borno (three), Akwa Ibom (two), Kwara (one), Plateau (one).

“As of 11:30 pm on 23rd April, cases by state: Lagos -582, FCT-133, Kano-73, Ogun-29, Katsina -21, Osun -20, Oyo – 17, Edo – 17, Borno – 12, Kwara – 11, Akwa Ibom – 11, Kaduna – nine, Gombe – nine, Bauchi – eight, Delta – six, Ekiti – four, Ondo – three, Rivers – three, Jigawa – two, Enugu – two, Niger – two, Abia – two, Benue – one, Anambra – one, Sokoto – one, Adamawa – one, Plateau – one.”

Of the 31 deaths, 16 were recorded in Lagos, three in Abuja, two each in Borno and Edo, one each in Katsina, Kano, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, and Delta.

Also, of the 197 who have been discharged, 106 were in Lagos, 35 in Abuja, five in Ogun, 18 in Osun, five in Oyo, seven in Edo, two in Kwara, three in Akwa Ibom, four in Kaduna, five in Bauchi, two in Ekiti, one in Ondo, two in Enugu, and two in Rivers.