A new app, "COVID 19 Self Assessment System in Africa," was launched on Friday to help people on the continent cope with the coronavirus epidemic.  

Co-developed by Tsinghua University and the Chinese media company StarTimes, the application is available in 45 countries.

The app is available in English, French, Portuguese and Swahili. It features hygiene guides and ways to detect early symptoms. Developers say they hope the app can help Africans live better in the midst of the epidemic and that this self-evaluation application could help users protect themselves against the virus.

Meanwhile, Chinese media companies have translated public service videos and health guides into Swahili and Hausa in the hope that the region, where COVID-19 cases are relatively few, can better prepare for the virus.

According to figures released by the Africa Center for Disease Control, 46 countries in Africa have confirmed cases as of Friday, with a total of 2,475 cases and 64 deaths.

(Cover image: A medical staff. /VCG)