#COVID19 round up: June 2021

As of the 1^st of July African Union Member States were reporting the following:

Total cases: 5,509,362COVID-19. This accounts for 3% of total cases reported globally.

Total recoveries: 4,822,701. This accounts for 88% of the total cases reported in Africa.

Total deaths: 142,993. This results in a cumulative case fatality rate (CFR), of 2.6%, and accounts for 3.6% of deaths reported globally.

22 countries I.e. 40% of Member States were reporting a CFR higher than the global average of 2.2%

The Republic of Tanzania has not reported since May 2020

COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | VARIANTS OF CONCERN (VOC)

58% of Member States (32 countries) were reporting the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant, originally reported in the UK.

53% of Member States (29 countries) were reporting the Beta (B.1.351) variant, originally reported in South Africa.

24% of Member States (13 countries), were reporting the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, originally reported in India.

COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | FOUR-WEEK TREND ANALYSIS

The following are trends analysis over the past 4 epidemiological weeks, (31 May - 27

June 2021):

New cases: There was an overall 29% average increase in new cases reported in Africa each week.

The following is a regional breakdown:

○ 43% increase in the Southern region

○ 38% increase in the Central region

○ 15% increase in the Eastern region

○ 11% increase in the Western region

○ 10% decrease in the Northern region

The following is a breakdown by the most populous countries in Africa:

○ DR Congo: 57% average increase

○ South Africa: 41% average increase

○ Kenya: 16% average increase

○ Nigeria: 13% average increase

○ Ethiopia: 23% average decrease

○ Egypt: 21% average decrease

New deaths: There was an overall 19% average increase in new deaths reported in Africa each week.

The following is a breakdown by the most populous countries in Africa:

○ DR Congo: 183% average increase

○ Kenya: 42% average increase

○ South Africa: 20% average increase

○ Ethiopia: 18% average decrease

○ Egypt: 8% average decrease

○ Nigeria: 5% average increase5

COVID-19 TESTING & MEDICAL SUPPLIES

As of 1 July, over 52 million COVID-19 tests (52,694,781), had been conducted in African Union Member States since the pandemic started.

The overall positivity rate was 10.4% and the test-per-case ratio was 9.6.

22% of Member States (12 countries) were reporting test positivity rate higher than 10%, i.e. Botswana, the DRC, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Saharawi Republic, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia

38% of Member States (21 countries) were experiencing the 3^rd COVID-19 wave, i.e. Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

One country (Tunisia) was experiencing its 4th COVID-19 wave.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

As of June 28th, African Union Member States were reporting the following:

65 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been procured by 51 Member States.

49.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered, which corresponds to 76.39% of the total supply available in Africa.

1.07% of the population has been fully vaccinated on the continent.

The following five countries had administered the most vaccine doses in Africa.

Note that, following data validation, the number of vaccinated in Egypt and a few other Member States were readjusted which also led to a decrease in percentage coverage from 1.12% to 1.07%.

More details are provided on our dashboard (https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/)

Tanzania, Saharawi Republic, Eritrea, and Burundi are STILL the 4 remaining AU Member States yet to start COVID-19 vaccine roll out.

More information on #COVID19 vaccination can be found on the Africa CDC COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.

OTHER UPDATES

29 June: Variant (Beta) Vaccine AZD2816 (phase II/III) trial begins

The first participants in a Phase II/III trial for the new COVID-19 variant vaccine AZD2816 were vaccinated, to assess its safety and immunogenicity in both previously vaccinated and unvaccinated adults. The trial will recruit approximately 2,250 participants across UK, South Africa, Brazil and Poland.

AZD2816 has been designed using the same adenoviral vector platform as AstraZeneca, with minor genetic alterations to the spike protein based on the Beta (B.1.351) variant.

The Cuban Abdala vaccine against the coronavirus had proved 92.28% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in stage 3 clinical trials. The vaccine is given in 3 doses at an interval of 2 weeks. Full data on the trial is yet to be released.