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More than 1 million COVID-19 tests to be conducted in Africa from next week —Africa CDC

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One million COVID-19 tests are expected to be done in Africa from next week to ascertain the number of infected persons.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday announced that more than one million COVID-19 tests would be carried out in the continent starting next week.

The head of the centre, John Nkengasong said this on Thursday, explaining that the exercise was intended to address the “big gap” in assessing the true number of cases on the continent.

He stated that one projection estimates more than 10 million severe cases of the virus in the next six months.

Nkengasong said, “Maybe 15 million tests” will be required in Africa over the next three months.

The move to accelerate testing in Africa is coming as the continent of 1.3 billion people braces for its turn in the pandemic that had hit China, currently ravaging Europe, U.S. and beyond.

READ ALSO: Every state in Nigeria will have its share of COVID-19 —NCDC boss

Experts have said Africa was weeks behind Europe and the U.S. but the rise in cases has looked alarmingly similar.

Africa has suffered in the global race to obtain testing kits and other badly needed medical equipment. While the number of virus cases across the continent was above 17,000 on Thursday, health officials have said the testing shortage means more are out there.

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