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Introduction: Although several coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) studies have focused on the biomedical and epidemiological manifestations of the COVID-19 virus, there is a dearth of studies that have reported the experiences of COVID-19 survivors. This study investigated the physiological and psychological experiences of COVID-19 survivors and the quality of care that they received during their recovery processes. Methods: A phenomenological approach and a purposive sampling technique were employed to select eligible participants whose reported interviews/videos were published on reputable online media channels. The selection processes involved three researchers who had independently searched and assessed the interviews and their sources; for veracity, availability of vital information to meet the study objectives, and to ensure it followed the inclusion criteria. Video interviews were transcribed and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Thirty-nine participants (COVID-19 survivors) within the age range of 20-95 from over 15 countries and 5 continents were included in this study. Clinical symptoms commonly reported included feeling feverish, severe, persistent and dry cough, difficulty in breathing, cold, body pains, and aches. Many participants had negative mental health experiences such as being scared, anxious, guilty feelings, and worrying about their recovery. Few participants had positive mental health experiences such as the feeling of encouragement from family and trusted friends. Many participants were satisfied with the quality of care at health centers, though some experienced early difficulty in getting tested. Conclusion: There are psychological impacts associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Psychological interventions should be included in the management of COVID-19 patients and survivors.

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Africa can be “left behind” after other advanced continents recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as reflected by the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS. In this paper, we summarize potentially adaptable, effective and innovative strategies from China, Italy, and the U.S. The purpose is to help African countries with weaker healthcare systems better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. China, being the first to detect COVID-19 infection swiftly swung into anti-epidemic actions by the use of innovative risk communication and epidemic containment strategies. Italy and U.S., the next rapidly hit countries after China, however, experienced sustained infections and deaths due to delayed and ineffective response. Many African countries responded poorly to the COVID-19 pandemic as evidenced by the limited capacity for public health surveillance, poor leadership, low education and socioeconomic status, among others. Experience from China, Italy and U.S. suggests that a better response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa needs a strong public health leadership, proactive strategies, innovative risk communication about the pandemic, massive tests and isolation, and scaling-up community engagement. Lastly, African countries must collaborate with other countries to facilitate real-time information and experience exchange with other countries to avoid being left behind.

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About 74.9 million persons were infected during the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome HIV/AIDS global pandemic with nearly half of them succumbing to the disease. In 2018 alone, Africa recorded over 400,000 AIDS‐related deaths which is more than half of the global total. This reflects years of inequality in the global pandemic response. Also, the international response to AIDS in the early years was very slow, with a global programme only developed 6 years into the pandemic. Many African countries still lack pandemic preparedness plans to handle a global pandemic. Thus, this paper highlights the important lessons that can be learnt from the response to the AIDS pandemic and recommends how they can be applied during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Some of the important lessons include: HIV reversed the previous success recorded in health systems of developing countries; the antiretroviral drug development process was prolonged and required long term commitment; and primary healthcare was crucial in preventing and controlling the disease. These lessons can be utilised in the fight against COVID‐19 pandemic. It is recommended that: there should be solidarity among the nations of the world to fight COVID‐19; health authorities should be proactive in curbing misinformation; and interventions should prioritise human rights and focus on vulnerable communities. HIV treatment services should not be discontinued as it is still an ongoing pandemic. A balance needs to be achieved in combating both pandemics as discontinuation of HIV treatment during the coronavirus pandemic could result in more than 500,000 deaths.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is killing young people yearly. The knowledge of HNC risk factors and its symptoms among this population group may go a long way in HNC prevention among them. This study aims to: determine the level of awareness of HNC; determine the prevalence of HNC risk factors; and explore the knowledge of HNC risk factors, HNC symptoms, as well as family history of HNC among youth in the international communities (with focus on the Canadian and Nigerian youth). Methods A sample of 801 youth were surveyed using an e-questionnaire. The questionnaire obtained information from each participant about their: socio-demographic information; knowledge of HNC, its risk factors, and its manifestations; and family history of HNC. Data obtained from the participants were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Version 9.4 for Windows). Results The majority (73%) of the surveyed youth (n=801) were residing in Nigeria, seven-tenths of them were between the age 18 and 24 years, and 53% were females. Less than 10% had a history of smoking, 7% were active smokers, and 24% had history of oral sex (of which 57% (108/109) of them had a lifetime history of more than one oral sexual partner). Around half (51%) of the participants had never heard of HNC before. Only 4% knew of a family member who had suffered/is suffering from HNC. Half of the participants were not sure whether HNC can manifest without initial complaint, pain, or symptoms. Only 9% of the participants erroneously believed that HNC is a contagious disease. Comparative analyses among subgroups revealed that a higher proportion of those participants who were: from Canada; young adults; and males generally knew about HNC when compared with the proportions recorded among those in the adolescents; females, and Nigerian participants’ categories. Lastly, 76% of the participants showed interest in knowing more about HNC. Conclusion The majority of the surveyed youth demonstrated poor knowledge of HNC. Also, a significant proportion of them are at risk of developing HNC disease in future, if they keep indulging in HNC risky behaviors. There exists the need to conduct community health education programs on HNC among youth in these surveyed communities.

AbstractRabies, a zoonotic disease, is one of the deadliest and most serious threats to public health as it has an almost 100 % case fatality rate. The global estimated mortality of the virus is between 40,000 to 70,000 deaths annually with most of the death occurring in the developing countries of Africa and Asia. The objective of this study was to present the incidence and mortality rates from rabies in 28 African countries from 2005 to 2018. Secondary data were obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health Database. The data from 2005 to 2018 were used, as this was the period with available data in the database. The data were analysed using SPSS version 25 and other descriptive statistical tools. The highest combined rabies incidence and mortality in the time range (2005—2018) was 1601 in 2006, while the lowest was 157 in 2005. Just five countries (Angola, Central African Republic, Kenya, Mozambique and Senegal) had 65 % of the rabies cases and mortality. Notably, the data on the incidence and mortality were 100 % similar, as all of the cases of rabies in the 28 African countries within 2005—2018 resulted in death. Therefore, more work should be devoted to research on rabies prevention and cure. Toward that goal, practices and policies should be implemented to enable the acquisition of accurate and consistent rabies data.