'We can get it done here': Africa's tech scene tackles virus

Ultra Red Techlogies' Mehul Shah displays a 3D printed face shield at his office in Nairobi on May 5. — AFP

NAIROBI: Watching from afar as much of the world was brought to its knees by the coronavirus, African scientists, engineers and innovators have turned to homegrown solutions to prepare for the worst case scenario.

By the time the virus hit Africa, where cases have risen relatively slowly, images of overwhelmed hospitals and stories of health workers strapped for protective gear had been streaming in for weeks.