COVID-19 IN CAMEROON
All updates and information
For the general public and health professionals
Cases Per Million
Reported illnesses from cases of COVID-19 have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death
These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses).
- Shortness of breath
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
For more on symptoms:
Wash your hands frequently
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water to kill the viruses that may be in your hands
Maintain physical distancing
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing to prevent yourself from breathing in the virus that people are coughing or sneezing out.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene
This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Advise people around you to do same.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Call the following numbers
- 677 89 93 69
- 677 89 43 64
- 677 89 76 44
- 677 90 01 57
- 677 89 46 58
- 677 89 45 53
- 677 89 51 81
- 677 89 73 26
- 677 89 83 90
- 677 89 76 61
- 677 89 25 92
For more information on how to protect yourself:
Determine areas where work can continue, areas where work should reduce or change, and areas where work should be paused and implement these strictly.
Only essential employees should be allowed to the workplace. All non-essential employees should work from home. Examples of Essential employees include service providers like doctors and nurses (for the health care sector) and non-essential employees include most administrative staff like secretaries.
No employee should come to the workplace with any of these symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose or nasal congestion, or diarrhea. If you have any of these symptoms, stay at home and contact your healthcare provider.
If you have been in contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, observe the 14-day quarantine period recommended by the WHO and CDC and contact your healthcare provider if you develop any of the above symptoms. If any employee recently returned from travel (especially from highly affected countries), they should observe a 14-day quarantine period and return to work if they do not develop symptoms.
Implement basic screening procedures like measurement of temperature prior to admitting anyone in the workplace environment. Do not admit anyone in the workplace environment who has a temperature of 38oC or greater. Individuals are also encouraged to measure their body temperature twice a day. If 38oC or greater, stay home and contact your healthcare provider. If you do not have a thermometer handy, subjective fever can count (meaning if you feel feverish).
All team activities should be done virtually – Zoom, Skype, WebEx, phone etc. Conference rooms and common areas should be used sparingly, if at all.
Regularly clean surfaces and objects at the workplace (desks, tables, telephone, keyboards) with disinfectants.
Social/physical distancing: If you must meet face to face, strictly adhere to a 2-meter (about 6 feet) distance space between those involved.
Establish a department to monitor adherence in real time and provide immediate feedback to the organizations’ leadership.
Address COVID-19 anxiety: A lot of employees may not adhere to preventive measures for fear of losing their jobs or not getting payed. Organizations are encouraged to make it clear to employees that they will be able to count justified time off as sick leave.
- High temperatures do not prevent the spread of Coronavirus
You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19. To protect yourself, make sure you clean your hands frequently and thoroughly and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
- COVID-19 is not a death sentence
Most of the people who catch COVID-19 can recover and eliminate the virus from their bodies. If you catch the disease, make sure you treat your symptoms. If you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early – but call your health facility by telephone first. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care.
- Drinking alcohol or eating garlic does not protect you against COVID-19 and can be dangerous
- Frequent or excessive alcohol consumption can increase your risk of health problems.
- COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates like Cameroon and other parts of Africa.
From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19.
- Coronavirus is not transmitted by mosquito bite
- Vaccines against other respiratory illnesses do not protect again Coronavirus.
Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCoV, and WHO is supporting their efforts. Although these vaccines are not effective against 2019-nCoV, vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.
- Young people and blacks are susceptible to coronavirus
People of all ages and races can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
For more information:
These are links to some useful local and international resources for health professionals in Cameroon.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases by country
Sort by confirmed numbers.
|Country or Region||Cases||Deaths||Recovered|