When the COVID-19 lockdown took place, cultural practices that immensely defined Africans—including festivals, naming ceremonies, marriages, and funerals were what the World Health Organization informed them to terminate. This impacted Africa significantly as lockdown and social distancing measures led to implications in everyday survival in various African countries and the adoption of measures provided substantial socio-economic measures on Africa today. While all cultures around the globe are experiencing similar effects, the people of Africa are more likely to face a much longer footprint of the virus due to the financial hardships faced previously and currently. 

An important factor to understand about the overall predicament would be the myths revolving around Africa during the early days of the COVID-19 virus. For instance, a substantial number of Africans did not think that COVID-19 was a real virus. Other thoughts incorporated that the virus had a false capability of infecting Africans due to skin color or the hot climate. Although, a few amusing myths in Africa circulated around the idea that the virus would be prevented from one’s body if they were to pour drinking alcohol on their body. Some Africans definitely did not take the virus seriously, but it took Africa by shock to report their first case in Egypt on February 4, 2020. 

Although myths may have served as an effect on Africa’s cases, underreporting served a far greater influence. As the pandemic continued to take place, Africa was perpetually seen to report the least amount of confirmed cases. In Itai Chitungo and co-authors’  “COVID-19: Unpacking the Low Number of Cases in Africa,” they write on the potential reasons why Africa may suffer from inaccurate reporting. The authors note, “Despite lacking the same testing capacity as other regions in the world, the low numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases can be explained in part due to experiences in handling infectious diseases on the continent. Africa’s young population may be another reason for the low infection rates experienced on the continent. We argue that it is not accurate to offer limited testing capacity, poor health systems and under-reporting as the only explanations for the lower numbers of COVID-19 cases reported in Africa.”

As a result of the virus, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco were affected the most. Tourism and the oil sector represent 25% of the economy. For example, my native country Nigeria previously grappled with recovery from the 2014 oil price shock. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis caused all government purchases to fall. 

To conclude, these are a portion of numerous factors that exhibit how COVID-19 has altered not only African culture for generations to come, but Africa’s general outlook on the world of healthcare. The novel coronavirus has prompted Africa to heighten their attention towards their comprehensive health and hygiene as a continent. Pandemics have taught humanity that infectious diseases do not adhere to any borders, with integrants comprising either ethnicity, culture, or religion. All continents like Africa deserve an equity of attention toward global health emergencies. 

Works Cited

“Socio-Economic and Cultural Impacts of COVID-19 on Africa: What Responses from UNESCO?” Unesdoc.unesco.org, unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373903. 

Onyeji, Nike Adebowale and Ebuka. “Africa: Covid-19 - How Five Hardest Hit African Countries Are Coping.” AllAfrica.com, 21 Feb. 2021, allafrica.com/stories/202102210058.html. 

“African Culture and Combating Covid-19: Realities and Myths.” Africa Up Close, africaupclose.wilsoncenter.org/the-african-culture-and-combating-covid-19-realities-and-myths/. 

“Disease as Power? Covid-19 Pandemic, African Culture and the New Structures of Modern Society.” H, networks.h-net.org/node/9782/discussions/8163886/disease-power-covid-19-pandemic-african-culture-and-new. 

Soy, Anne. “Coronavirus in Africa: Five Reasons Why Covid-19 Has Been Less Deadly than Elsewhere.” `BBC News, BBC, 7 Oct. 2020, bbc.com/news/world-africa-54418613.  

“The COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: Impact, Responses, and Lessons from Ghana, the Democratic   Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.” Wilson Center,  wilsoncenter.org/publication/covid-19-pandemic-africa-impact-responses-and-lessons-ghana-democratic-republic-congo.  

Chitungo, Itai, et al. “Covid-19: Unpacking the Low Number of Cases in Africa.” Public Health in Practice (Oxford, England), The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on Behalf of The Royal Society for Public Health., Nov. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7485446/.