Africa facing a quarter of a billion coronavirus cases, WHO predicts

But continent will have fewer deaths than Europe and US because of its younger population and other lifestyle factors

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Nearly a quarter of a billion people across 47 African countries will catch coronavirus over the next year, but the result will be fewer severe cases and deaths than in the US and Europe, new research predicts.

A model by the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for Africa, published in the BMJ Global Health, predicts a lower rate of transmission and viral spread across the continent than elsewhere, resulting in up to 190,000 deaths. But the authors warn the associated rise in hospital admissions, care needs and huge impact" on services such as immunisation and maternity, will overwhelm already stretched health services.