Africans in Wuhan: Homesick and fearful of coronavirus
Clarissa Herrmann
February 6, 2020
Almost 5,000 Africans study in Wuhan. Running short of cash and food, many are demanding to be airlifted home. But most African nations have ruled out evacuating their citizens.
Image: Getty Images/L. Dray
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Nigerian student Abdul Salam Aji Suleiman says he's hardly left his apartment for the past two weeks. He's studying in Wuhan, a city of 11 million which is at the center of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan has been locked down since late January and now Suleiman only goes out when it's absolutely necessary, such as to buy food.
"Before we go out, we have to wear these really good masks to cover the nose and mouth," Suleiman, a student at Huazhong University, told DW.
He wishes the Nigerian Embassy would get him and other Nigerians out of China.
"That's the feeling of all Nigerians who live here – they want to go home because they're scared of the virus," he says.
More than a dozen countries around the world have evacuated, or have plans to evacuate, their nationals from the virus-hit city.
More than 160 Moroccans arrived home last Sunday in an evacuation operation that will see them quarantined under medical supervision in two military hospitals for around 20 days.
Algeria has also airlifted out Algerians, Tunisians and Libyan citizens.
Kenya announces evacuation plans
On Wednesday, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said his country is preparing to evacuate Kenyan students trapped in Wuhan.
“We are also working, because we have got a good number of our students there, to see how we can support them and find out how we can ... ensure that they are put in quarantine for the required 14 days and ensure that they are not going to spread that virus around,” Kenyatta was quoted as saying by Daily Nation, a Kenyan news outlet.
So far, Kenya is the only country from sub-Saharan Africa that has announced plans to evacuate nationals.
Senegalese President Macky Sall said earlier this week that Senegal couldn't match "big countries" in organizing emergency evacuations, pointing to the charter flights, medical personnel and quarantine facilities necessary for such an operation.
"We are in contact with the students and we are able to support them financially," said Sall. "But repatriation is not so easy."
On Wednesday, the families of 13 Senegalese studying in Wuhan demanded that the students be airlifted to safety.
"Our children demand a minimum, their right to be rescued by their motherland," said Yoro Ba, representing the families, at a news conference in Dakar.
More than a dozen countries have been working to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan but African countries aren't planning to follow suitImage: picture-alliance/dpa/LaPresse via ZUMA Press
No money, no food
The area around Wuhan has been cordoned off. The metropolis is now a quarantined ghost town. Public transport is shut down, most stores and supermarkets are closed, and the cost of some food products has increased tenfold.
The skyrocketing prices are making life even more difficult for the African students.
Seidou Keita, one of around 20 students from Guinea living in Wuhan, says that if his government can't bring them home, it should at least provide financial support. With banks closed in Wuhan, relatives can't even send money to help them out, Keita explained.
"We've nearly run out of cash. Other Guineans here have shared their money with us to get us through the past few days.
Masters student Nankouman Kieta added that the Guinean students had almost run out of food. "The situation is quite difficult at the moment," he said.
Guinea's embassy in Beijing has asked the students to be patient, he said.
Wuhan's streets are more or less deserted with the city in lockdown following the outbreak of coronavirusImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Rataj
A 20-year-old computer science student from Ethiopia also told DW she wants to return home. Although she's in good health, it's hard being cooped up inside.
"Because of the spread of the disease, we can't go out," she told DW. "Fortunately, we don't have any health problems at the moment. But for how long can you sit in a closed room? Let us return to our country!"
Fears coronavirus could wreak havoc in Africa
Africa hasn't yet had a confirmed case of coronavirus.
Ghana, however, reported on Thursday two suspected cases in foreign nations, a Chinese and an Argentine citizen, according to Ghanaian media.
The two presented themselves to a hospital in Accra on Wednesday and authorities have sent off samples for further analysis, local media reported.
“They’ve all developed some symptoms that fit the case definition [but] it doesn’t mean they have the disease,” Pulse online, quoted Dr Winifred Baah from the Ghana Medical Association as saying.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Botswana have also reported suspected cases; however, subsequent tests came back negative.
Africa and China have a many links. But seven out of eight African airlines with flights to China have discontinued these routes, the most recent being Air Algerie.
Only Ethiopian Airlines is continuing to operate its regular services of 35 flights a week to five Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong.
Experts say many lessons were learned from the most recent outbreak of Ebola in DR CongoImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Delay
Lessons learned from Ebola?
At a press conference in Geneva on Monday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus compared the situation to the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. Both epidemics showed the importance of being prepared instead of panicking.
"The [Ebola] outbreak has been steadily declining," he said. "This is an incredible public triumph. Five years ago, we had no vaccine and no therapies for Ebola. Now we can say, Ebola is preventable and treatable."
But although many African countries have learned from the Ebola crisis and developed early warning systems, WHO has said it is concerned about the virus entering countries with weak health care systems, as is the case in many African nations.
Virologist Ndongo Dia from the Pasteur Institute in Dakar says the most important thing is being able to quickly determine whether someone has contracted the new virus.
She thinks Senegal, at least, is well-prepared.
"We have already succeeded in meeting this challenge. We have everything we need," she said.
Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Since the first cases were confirmed in December 2019, the flu-like COVID-19 virus exploded into a global pandemic, killing tens of thousands of people and infecting around 800,000. Scientists scramble for a vaccine.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/SOPA Images/A. Marzo
Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan
On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.
Image: Imago Images/UPI Photo/S. Shaver
First death in China
On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.
Image: Reuters/Str
Virus reaches neighboring countries
In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.
Image: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Millions under lockdown
China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.
Image: AFP/STR
A global health emergency?
More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.
Image: Getty Images/X. Chu
Coronavirus reaches Europe
On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Mortagne
First cases confirmed in Germany
On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.
Image: Reuters/A. Uyanik
WHO declares global health emergency
On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."
Image: picture-alliance/KEYSTONE/J.-C. Bott
First death outside China
The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Aljibe
Bad ending to a cruise
Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/kyodo
Italy under quarantine
Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.
Image: Reuters/R. Casilli
Economic woes
European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.
Image: picture-alliance/Jiji Press/M. Taguchi
WHO declares outbreak as pandemic
As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Public life on hold in Europe
On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AAB. Akbulut
International travel severely restricted
As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Germany imposes partial lockdown
In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.
Image: picture-alliance/EibnerT. Hahn
Virus strikes at top as UK locks down
On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Pinney
Grim milestone for the US
On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot/J. Fischer
Spain's surging death toll
Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.
Image: picture-alliance/Geisler-Fotopress
More than a million
On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.
Image: Reuters/J. Redmond
UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized
The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27.
Image: AFP/10 Downing Street
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Zahraddeen Umar, Dutsen Kura, Reliou Koubakin and Lidet Abebe contributed to this article.
