COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?

We formulate a mathematical model for the spread of the coronavirus which incorporates adherence to disease prevention. The major results of this study are: First, we determined optimal infection coefficients such that high levels of coronavirus transmission are prevented. Secondly, we have found th...

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Main Authors: Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H., Lungu, Bwalya, Lungu, Edward M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Botswana International University of Science & Technology 2022
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.11145/j.biomath.2021.03.117
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4694
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author Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H.
Lungu, Bwalya
Lungu, Edward M.
author_facet Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H.
Lungu, Bwalya
Lungu, Edward M.
author_sort Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H.
collection DSpace
description We formulate a mathematical model for the spread of the coronavirus which incorporates adherence to disease prevention. The major results of this study are: First, we determined optimal infection coefficients such that high levels of coronavirus transmission are prevented. Secondly, we have found that there exists several optimal pairs of removal rates, from the general population of asymptomatic and symptomatic infectives respectively that can protect hospital bed capacity and flatten the hospital admission curve. Of the many optimal strategies, this study recommends the pair that yields the least number of coronavirus related deaths. The results for South Africa, which is better placed than the other sub-Sahara African countries, show that failure to address hygiene and adherence issues will preclude the existence of an optimal strategy and could result in a more severe epidemic than the Italian COVID-19 epidemic. Relaxing lockdown measures to allow individuals to attend to vital needs such as food replenishment increases household and community infection rates and the severity of the overall infection.
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spelling ir-11408-46942022-06-27T13:49:06Z COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope? Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H. Lungu, Bwalya Lungu, Edward M. Coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic We formulate a mathematical model for the spread of the coronavirus which incorporates adherence to disease prevention. The major results of this study are: First, we determined optimal infection coefficients such that high levels of coronavirus transmission are prevented. Secondly, we have found that there exists several optimal pairs of removal rates, from the general population of asymptomatic and symptomatic infectives respectively that can protect hospital bed capacity and flatten the hospital admission curve. Of the many optimal strategies, this study recommends the pair that yields the least number of coronavirus related deaths. The results for South Africa, which is better placed than the other sub-Sahara African countries, show that failure to address hygiene and adherence issues will preclude the existence of an optimal strategy and could result in a more severe epidemic than the Italian COVID-19 epidemic. Relaxing lockdown measures to allow individuals to attend to vital needs such as food replenishment increases household and community infection rates and the severity of the overall infection. 2022-03-15T10:42:19Z 2022-03-15T10:42:19Z 2021 Article https://doi.org/10.11145/j.biomath.2021.03.117 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4694 en Biomath;Vol. 10; No. 1 open Botswana International University of Science & Technology
spellingShingle Coronavirus
COVID-19 epidemic
Machingauta, Mandidayingeyi H.
Lungu, Bwalya
Lungu, Edward M.
COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title_full COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title_fullStr COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title_short COVID-19 changing the face of the world. Can sub-Sahara Africa cope?
title_sort covid-19 changing the face of the world. can sub-sahara africa cope?
topic Coronavirus
COVID-19 epidemic
url https://doi.org/10.11145/j.biomath.2021.03.117
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4694
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