The COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan was part of the worldwide pandemic of , caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Afghanistan when its index case, in Herat, was confirmed on 24 February 2020.
As of , there have been confirmed positive cases and deaths. As of 13 September 2021, there have been 118,180 recoveries. Kabul Province has had the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan, at 18,896, followed by Herat with 9,343 cases, and Balkh with 3,431. However, on 5 August 2020, an official survey from the Ministry of Public Health reported that approximately a third of the country's population, or roughly 10 million people had contracted COVID-19.
Background
Origins On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Model-based simulations for Afghanistan indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t was below 1.0 and falling from November 2020 to February 2021.
Mass returnees from Iran and Pakistan
In March 2020, at least 150,000 Afghans returned from Iran, due to the outbreak across the country, at the Islam Qala border in Herat Province. As many as over 1.000 people a day crossed the border during the month. Between March and April 2020, the number of cases surged in Herat Province to over 200. At the Chaman and Torkham borders, over 60,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan in three days.
Timeline
February 2020 On 23 February, at least three citizens of Herat who had recently returned from Qom, Iran were suspected of COVID-19 infection. Blood samples were sent to Kabul for further testing. On 24 February, Afghanistan confirmed the first COVID-19 case involving one of the three people from Herat, a 35-year-old man.
March 2020
1 to 14 March – Early spread On 7 March, three new cases were confirmed in Herat Province, raising the total number of positive cases in Afghanistan to four.
On 10 March, the first case was reported outside of Herat province, in Samangan Province, meaning that there was a total of five cases in Afghanistan. This count later rose to seven in the evening.
On 14 March, the tenth positive case was confirmed. The Ministry of Public Health announced that Balkh Province and Kapisa Province had their first cases. Samangan also had their third positive case of coronavirus infection. The eleventh case was also announced that day. The patient from Balkh Province had fled after testing positive.
On 14 March, the first recovery from the coronavirus in Afghanistan was recorded as a patient in Herat, who was also the first positive case.
15 to 24 March – First death Five new cases were reported on 15 March, including the first case in Daykundi Province.
On 16 March, five new positive cases were identified, meaning that the total number of cases rose to 21. 38 patients, including one positive patient, escaped from quarantine in Herat Province, but were quarantined upon return. Also on that day, the Taliban announced that they had arrested the runaway patient from Balkh Province and had handed him back to health authorities.
On 17 March, there were 22 total cases confirmed. Also on that day, seven patients that escaped from Herat Hospital returned. By 19 March, two new positive cases were confirmed for the first time in Badghis and Logar provinces.
On 22 March, 10 new cases were reported out of 97 tests, resulting in a total of 34 positive cases. New cases were reported in Ghazni, Kandahar and Zabul provinces. The two new cases in Kabul Province were both foreign diplomats. The first possible fatality of COVID-19 in Afghanistan was also announced on 22 March, a man who had visited a hospital in Herat because he had heart disease, but who had also shown signs of COVID-19.
On 22 March, Khalilullah Hekmati, head of Balkh's public health directorate, announced the first official death of an Afghan due to COVID-19, a man who died in Chimtal District, in Balkh Province. By the end of the day, the number of cases increased to 40, after six new cases were reported. These included the first two cases in Farah Province and the first case in Ghor Province. Three new cases were also reported in Herat. 18 new cases in one day marked the biggest increase of positive cases in a single day at the time. On 23 March, two new cases were reported in the provinces of Logar and Samangan. On 24 March, 32 new cases were reported, making the total number of cases 74. All of the new cases were reported in Herat.
25 to 31 March – Outbreak On 25 March, five new positive cases were reported, as well as the second death in the country. The total climbed up to 79. The figure later rose to 84 positive cases. The first case was also announced in Nimruz Province. The second recovery was also reported.
On 26 March, two deaths were announced. The total death toll increased to four. Ten new positive cases were also reported; eight were in Herat Province and two were in Nimruz Province.
On 27 March, 16 new cases were announced by the Ministry of Health. This included 11 new cases in Herat Province, three in Farah Province and one in Ghor Province. The total number of cases reached 110. The third recovery in the country was also reported. By 29 March, there was a total of 120 positive cases. On 30 March, 25 new cases were announced, meaning that the total number of cases increased to 145. The first cases were recorded in Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Paktia and Sar-e Pol provinces. Two new recoveries were also reported. On 31 March, the Ministry of Health reported four new cases from 60 tests. Two of the cases were reported in Kandahar, while one new case each was recorded in Daykundi and Nimruz provinces. 22 other positive cases were later announced as positive with twelve in Herat, six in Kabul, and one new case each in Baghlan (the first in the province), Ghazni and Paktia provinces. By the end of March, the number of positive cases had reached 196.
April 2020
1 to 9 April On 1 April, 43 new cases were announced. The total number of coronavirus cases rose to 239. Health officials reported that over 100 staff members at hospitals in Herat Province are suspected cases.
On the morning of 2 April, six new cases were reported: 5 in Kabul Province and one in Daykundi Province. The total number of cases reached 245. In the evening, the figure reached 273, after 15 new cases were confirmed in Herat Province, as well as another death. The 13 other new cases were located in Baghlan, Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces.
On 3 April, the number of confirmed cases reached 281. 20 new cases were from Herat, 14 in Kabul, and one new case each in the provinces of Ghor, Nangarhar, and Nimroz. In the evening, the Ministry of Public Health announced 299 total cases. Herat Province had 206 cases, whilst Kabul Province had the second-highest number of cases (43). The cases in Herat Province entail 144 men and 60 women, as well as four fatalities and five recoveries. New cases were also reported in Balkh, Ghazni, Logar, and Samangan provinces. The first cases were recorded in Faryab and Kunduz provinces.
On 4 April, the Ministry of Public Health announced that the total had reached 337. The seventh fatality in the country was also reported, whilst two more patients recovered. The 38 new cases were located in 9 provinces. Herat and Kabul had ten new cases each. Kandahar had eight, Paktia had three, Balkh and Samangan had two, whilst Kapisa and Zabul provinces had one new case each. Takhar Province reported their first case. The cases in Herat Province rose to 216, while in Kabul Province it rose to 53 cases.
On 5 April, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed 30 new cases, which brought the total number of cases to 367. Herat had 16 new cases, Kabul had six, Nimruz had three, Faryab and Kunduz both had two, and Daykundi only had one new case. 5 new recoveries were reported, meaning that the total number of recoveries in Afghanistan reached 17.
On 6 April, the death toll increased to 11, as a doctor from a private hospital in Kabul was reported as the eleventh fatality in the country. The Health Ministry also reported the eighteenth recovery. Out of 2737 suspected cases, only 367 had tested positive. However, in the evening it was reported that 27 new cases in Herat Province were recorded from 140 tests. 21 were men, while 6 were women. Overall, 56 new cases were confirmed positive. Kabul had 12 new cases, Kandahar had 10, Balkh had 5, and Nangarhar had 2 new cases confirmed. The total increased to 423.
On 7 April, two new cases were reported in Kandahar Province. On 8 April, the 14th death and 20th recovery were announced. A doctor had died at a clinic in Kabul, which was later closed. The first cases were reported in Helmand and Wardak provinces. On 9 April, 40 new cases were reported, as well as the 15th fatality, and 32 recoveries. 14 new cases were recorded in Nimruz, ten in Kabul, seven in Kandahar, four in Paktia, two each in Balkh and Bamyan (the first cases in the province), and a single new case in Logar Province. With 257 cases, four of the 15 Afghan fatalities had been reported in Herat Province. Despite this, no new cases in Herat Province were recorded on 9 April, due to a lack of testing kits. The Ministry revealed that the deaths recorded up until 9 April entailed four in Balkh and Herat, three in Kabul, two in Nangarhar, and one each in Daykundi and Takhar provinces.
10 to 19 April On 10 April, 37 new cases were tested positive, including the first case in Parwan Province. 16 new cases were recorded in Kabul, Herat had eight, whilst Daykundi, Kandahar, Logar, Takhar all had two new cases. The Ministry of Public Health also announced that Bamiyan had a single new case. By 10 April, at least 20 employees at the Arg (Presidential Palace) had contracted COVID-19 in Kabul.
Another 34 cases were announced by the Ministry of Public Health in the evening. Herat and Kabul both had eight new cases, Kandahar had five, Nimruz and Wardak had four, Balkh had two, whilst Badghis, Baghlan, and Ghor all had a single new case each. The total number of cases reached 555, after an increase of 71 new cases, which was the highest number of cases reported in a single day in Afghanistan. Three new fatalities were also reported, including two men in Kabul.
On 11 April, 52 new cases were recorded, meaning that the total number of cases reached 607. Kabul had 28 new cases, Kandahar had eight, Herat had seven, Balkh had four, Bamyan had two, whilst Helmand, Nangarhar, and Paktia all had a single new case each. On 12 April, three new fatalities were announced by the health ministry, as the number of recoveries reached 38. 58 new cases were recorded across six provinces. Kandahar had 28 new cases, Kabul had 13, Helmand had seven, Nimruz had six, Takhar had three, and Kunduz reported a single case. Herat announced no new case in the province for the second time that week, due to a lack of testing kits. The number of cases in Herat Province reached 280, whilst in Kabul the number of cases had risen to 146. The number of cases in Kandahar had rapidly increased to 75.
On 13 April, 49 new cases were recorded by the health ministry across six provinces. Kabul had 18 new cases, followed by Kandahar with 15, Balkh had six, Ghazni and Herat both had four, and Nangarhar reported two new positive cases. As the number of cases increased to 714, the 40th recovery was also announced, as well as two further deaths, meaning that the death toll had reached 23.