Kenya Study Supports Impression Covid-19 Spreading Weakest in Africa

A Kenyan study that analyzed blood samples from donors in Kenya found that in June 2020 nearly 4.3% of Kenyans had antibodies to the coronavirus, a rate similar to that reported by countries like Spain and the United States at the peak. of Covid-19 outbreaks. The lower number of deaths could indicate that the disease is weaker compared to what Europe and the US experienced, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed academic journal. Sciences.

Africa, which accounts for almost 17% of the world’s population, accounted for 5% of global Covid-19 cases and 3% of global Covid-19 deaths in July 2020. This has been attributed to limited capacity test from several countries on the continent, early action by governments and a higher proportion of young people in the population. But so far there is little data to guide the answer.

Kenya, an East African country, had recorded 20,636 Covid-19 cases and 341 deaths at the end of July. To better understand the pattern of spread, the researchers collected 3,174 blood samples from four regional blood transfusion centers in Kenya from late April to mid-June 2020. The samples belonged to people between the ages of 15 and 66.

The 4.3% seroprevalence was considerably higher than the researchers thought. It was similar when segregated by gender, but higher in younger age groups and in urban areas.

“These results are relevant as they evidence the need to invest in more research to explain the development of a pandemic across the continent,” said Sophie Uyoga, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program. , Kenya. “Currently, there is very little data from the African continent where we believe that the pandemic may be following a different course than what we are witnessing in Europe and the United States.”

Lessons for policy makers

Most countries have relied on lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, but in developing countries they have disrupted health services, increased hunger, and affected women disproportionately.

The researchers wanted to provide policymakers with data that could be used to make these decisions. A younger population could be one of the explanations why Kenya was not affected more, according to the researchers of this study. The extent of the spread contrasts with the number of deaths and supports “the impression that the disease may be attenuated in Africa.”

Other experts highlight the possible role of immunity. “People could have innate immunity to disease or they could have developed immunity after repeated infections,” said Dileep Mavalankar, director of the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH) – Gandhinagar. Mavalankar was part of a study that showed that even within the same household, the chances of infections were only around 10-20%, suggesting a key role that individual immunity plays.

Researchers involved in the Kenyan study also highlighted the need for more data and evidence. “The biggest limitation is that the pandemic is evolving rapidly and requires both adaptable designs for future studies and quick access to funding for Covid-19 research, especially in Africa,” Uyoga said.

In recent weeks, cases have increased in several African countries. About 19 countries in Africa have reported an increase of more than 20% in new cases in the last 28 days compared to the previous four weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on November 19, while urged greater caution.

“In the face of Covid-19, complacency can be dangerous,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. “At this critical time as Africa is beginning to see an increase in cases, we must re-energize and re-commit to wearing masks. I know that many find public health measures cumbersome, but without everyone’s action, Africa is at risk of a further increase in Covid-19 cases. “