COVID-19 pandemic in Gabon explained

COVID-19 pandemic in Gabon
Disease:	COVID-19
Virus Strain:	SARS-CoV-2
Location:	Gabon
Arrival Date:	12 March 2020
Origin:	Wuhan, China

The COVID-19 pandemic in Gabon was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 . The virus was confirmed to have reached Gabon in March 2020.__TOC__

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.^{[1] [2]}

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,^{[3] [4]} but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.^{[5] [3]}

Timeline

March 2020

• The country's first case was announced on 12 March, a 27-year-old Gabonese man who returned to Gabon from France, four days prior to confirmation of the coronavirus.^[6]
• On 17 March, two additional cases were confirmed in the country, including a woman who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She visited Marseille and Paris before returning to the country.^[7]
• On 20 March, the first death was confirmed.^[8]
• On 24 March, diagnosed cases increased to six with the Ministry of Health announcing two new cases: a 45-year-old Togolese national and resident of Gabon who recently returned from Senegal on 11 March, and a 42-year-old Gabonese national who returned from France on 19 March.^[9]
• During the month there were 7 confirmed cases, one death and six active cases at the end of the month.^[10]

Subsequent cases

• 2020 cases

There were 9,571 confirmed cases in 2020. 9,388 patients recovered while 64 persons died. At the end of 2020 there were 119 active cases.^[11]

• 2021 cases

Vaccination began on 23 March, initially with 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine donated by China.^[12]

There were 32,227 confirmed cases in 2021, bringing the total number of cases to 41,798. 28,111 patients recovered in 2021 while 224 persons died, bringing the total death toll to 288. At the end of 2021 there were 4,011 active cases.^[13]

Modelling by WHO's Regional Office for Africa suggests that due to under-reporting, the true cumulative number of infections by the end of 2021 was around one million while the true number of COVID-19 deaths was around 323.^[14]

• 2022 cases

There were 7,182 confirmed cases in 2022, bringing the total number of cases to 48,980. 11,169 patients recovered in 2022 while 18 persons died, bringing the total death toll to 306. At the end of 2022 there were six active cases.^[15]

• 2023 cases

There were 71 confirmed cases in 2023, bringing the total number of cases to 49,051. The total death toll rose to 307.^[16]

Statistics

Confirmed new cases per day

Confirmed deaths per day

See also

• COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
• COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory

Notes and References

1. Web site: Novel Coronavirus Information Center . Elsevier . Elsevier Connect. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130171622/https://www.elsevier.com/connect/coronavirus-information-center. 30 January 2020. 15 March 2020.
2. News: Reynolds . Matt . What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic? . 4 March 2020 . Wired UK. 5 March 2020 . 1357-0978. https://web.archive.org/web/20200305104806/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-coronavirus. 5 March 2020. live.
3. Web site: Crunching the numbers for coronavirus . Imperial News. 13 March 2020 . 15 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319084913/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/196137/crunching-numbers-coronavirus/. 19 March 2020. live.
4. Web site: High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England . GOV.UK . en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200303051938/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid. 3 March 2020. 17 March 2020.
5. Web site: World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus . wfsahq.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200312233527/https://www.wfsahq.org/resources/coronavirus. 12 March 2020. 15 March 2020.
6. News: Ghana, Gabon confirm first cases of coronavirus . National Post . Reuters . 13 March 2020. en-CA. 13 March 2020.
7. Web site: Urgent : 2 nouveaux cas confirmés de Covid-19. GabonActu. 17 March 2020. 20 March 2020.
8. Web site: Coronavirus : premier décès enregistré au Gabon. GabonMediaTime. 20 March 2020. 20 March 2020.
9. Web site: Covid-19 : Le Gabon enregistre son 6è cas positif. 23 March 2020.
10. Web site: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 72 . World Health Organization . 24 July 2020 . 8 . 1 April 2020.
11. Web site: Moubecka. Raïssa. Rétrospective 2019-2020 : le Gabon au rythme de la COVID-19. Medias241. 2 January 2021. fr. 31 December 2020.
12. Web site: Au Gabon, avec déjà 2433 personnes vaccinées et aucun effet secondaire majeur constaté, le début de la campagne de vaccination contre la Covid-19 est un succès. Ondo. Albertine. La Libreville. 5 April 2021. 3 April 2021. fr.
13. Web site: Coronavirus au Gabon : point journalier du 30 décembre 2021. Gabon Matin. 4 January 2022. 1 January 2022. fr.
14. Cabore. Joseph Waogodo. Karamagi. Humphrey Cyprian. Kipruto. Hillary Kipchumba. Mungatu. Joseph Kyalo. Asamani. James Avoka. Droti. Benson. Titi-ofei. Regina. Seydi. Aminata Binetou Wahebine. Kidane. Solyana Ngusbrhan. Balde. Thierno. Gueye. Abdou Salam. Makubalo. Lindiwe. Moeti. Matshidiso R. COVID-19 in the 47 countries of the WHO African region: a modelling analysis of past trends and future patterns. The Lancet Global Health. 1 June 2022. 10 . 8 . e1099–e1114. 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00233-9. 35659911. 9159735. 249241026. 2 June 2022. free.
15. Web site: Weekly bulletin on outbreaks and other emergencies. World Health Organization. 9 January 2023. 1 January 2023. 14.
16. Web site: Gabon. World Health Organization. 19 December 2023.