DAKAR – The West African nation of Mali has roughly one ventilator per 1 million people — 20 in all to help the critically ill with respiratory failure.
In Peru, with more than 32 million people, about 350 beds in intensive care units exist. The coronavirus is now moving into parts of the world that may be the least prepared.
Some countries in Africa and Latin America lack the equipment or even trained health workers to respond. Many of their nations are slamming shut borders and banning large gatherings in the hope of avoiding the scenes in wealthier countries such as Italy and the U.S., but local transmission of the virus has begun.