South Africa's poor fear the spread of coronavirus

Some of South Africa's poorest residents fear their living conditions might increase their chances of catching the new coronavirus.

With the country's confirmed cases jumping to 202 as of Friday, the government faces an increasing challenge should those living in some of the nation's poorest settlements get infected with the virus.

Mando Masimola lives in a one-bedroom home made of tin in an informal Soweto settlement.

She said since the homes are very close to one another, she and her family "don't know how we'll survive if the virus infects us since we live in groups."

South African Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, said the government needs to "step up" the flow of information to underdeveloped communities on what to do should the virus spread.

"There's too many people in one house. People live in shacks," she said, adding that masks and sanitizers ought to be delivered to settlements at risk.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

The coronavirus has infected more than 246,000 people and killed more than 10,000. Almost 86,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.