Who hasn't heard of COVID-19 by now? More than you think

Source(s): Associated Press

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In the week ending June 20, just over half -- 51% -- of the 3,471 people tracked said they had never heard of COVID-19.

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The migrants are often young men from rural parts of neighbouring Ethiopia. Most have no education, and some are from communities where internet access is low, Bean said. She doubted that anything had been lost in translation.

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Instead, she's heartened that the number of those unaware of COVID-19 has been dropping over the dozen weeks that the question has been asked, down from 88% at the start.

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"I've heard of something that sounds like that name, but we don't have it here," Fatima Moalin, a resident of Sakow town in southern Somalia, told the AP when reached by phone. "Muslims don't contract such a thing."

Others in rural Somalia, especially in areas held by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, have been dismissive of the virus. Somali authorities cite limited internet access, limited awareness campaigns and even extremists' restrictions on communications with the outside world.

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"Slowly, slowly the information is getting there," Bean said.

The virus is, too. Somalia, with one of the world's weakest health systems, now has more than 2,800 cases.

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Country and region Somalia
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