Estimation of exponential growth rate and basic reproduction number of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Africa

Background Since the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was detected on February 14, 2020, the cumulative confirmations reached 15207 including 831 deaths by April 13, 2020. Methods We analyzed the initial phase of the epidemic of COVID-19 in Africa between 1 March and 13 April 2020, by using the simple exponential growth model.Results We estimated the exponential growth rate as 0.22 per day (95%CI: 0.20 – 0.24), and the basic reproduction number, R0, to be 2.37 (95%CI: 2.22-2.51) based on the assumption that the exponential growth starting from 1 March 2020.Conclusion The initial growth of COVID-19 cases in Africa was rapid and showed large variations across countries. Our estimates should be useful in preparedness planning. Trial registration: NA