Africa Centres For Disease Control (CDC) has reported a 40% in hospitalization in Africa and a daily record high infection rates in the country. The new more transmissible Delta variant is believed to be the reason behind this vicious third wave.

First detected in India, this highly contagious (and possibly more severe)  SARS-CoV-2 virus strain has now been detected in 20 countries in Africa and over 110 countries globally. it is expected to become the dominant strain globally, spreading quickly in countries with both low and high vaccination coverage, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tracking and Mapping the Delta Variant In Africa

As of July 11, 2021, over 110 countries have reported the presence of the delta variant globally. Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Rwanda, are the latest African countries to confirm the presence of the Delta variant.

South Africa has been forced back to lockdown as of June 28, in a bid to manage the devastating third wave of infections caused by the delta variant. Now dominant in South Africa, the delta variant accounts for more than half of South Africa´s latest cases.

Africa’s Centres For Disease  Control has reported the variant was detected in 97% of the samples sequenced in Uganda and 79% of those sequenced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

See an interactive version of the map above here