COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel virus SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020.
It originated from Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei province in central China. It has now spread to almost every country in the world and all the continents except Antarctica and has been associated with significant fatalities.
COVID-19 infection has been documented in 47 countries in Africa, with almost 85,000 cases and 2,760 deaths as at 16 May 2020. The mortality is significantly lower in Africa than elsewhere for reasons that are still unclear.
In the typical case, a patient presents with fever or respiratory symptoms such as cough or difficulty in breathing, usually within 14 days of coming into contact with an infected person. Acute kidney injury may occur as part of multisystem involvement in the very ill patient and is often managed in the intensive care unit.
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