LAGOS, Nigeria — Christopher Johnson was known for two things. And his habit of hurling insults at strangers, which constantly got him into trouble. As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across the world in 2020, it has become increasingly evident that in the vast majority of countries on the African continent, most deaths are never formally registered. Some epidemiologists posit that its youthful population was less at risk; others that prior exposure to other coronaviruses gave some protection. But like other diseases, its true toll here will probably never be known, partly because elevated mortality rates cannot be used as a measure as they are elsewhere.

Source: New York Times January 02, 2021 14:05 UTC