‘Coronanomics’ amid the COVID-19 Outbreak: Sub Saharan African Socio-economic Effects and Lessons

Abstract

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus causing mayhem across the globe. The virus first emerged in China in December of 2019 and has in a short span affected multiple countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic due to its massive spread over a short space of time. The COVID-19 outbreak raised exceptional ethical predicaments because it made demands on society from all sectors of life, not only in sub-Saharan Africa but across the globe. Owing to the COVID-19, a lot of negative impacts on human activities in terms of private and work-life have been affected and life as the world knows it, has changed. There is no doubt that the rapid spread of COVID-19 is having an impact on businesses around the world, and notably on the relationship between organisations and their respective employees. COVID-19 also resulted in social distancing, self-isolation, and travel restrictions. This forced a decrease in the workforce across all economic sectors and caused many jobs losses with some jobs projected to be lost after the pandemic is over. Globally, on one hand, many schools and institutions of higher learning had closed, and the need for commodities and manufactured products had declined. On the other hand, the need for medical supplies and amenities significantly increased. At the height of the pandemic, the food sector had also seen a great demand due to panic-buying and amassing of food products. In response to this global outbreak, this article summarises the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on Sub-Saharan Africa. The article is conceptual since it collects data through reviewing existing literature, policies, and relevant reports. The article further proposes recommendations to adequately address the native effects of the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, Sub Saharan Africa, Outbreak, Pandemic, Unemployment