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Is there a link between poverty, overcrowding that makes distance impossible, and the low rate of coronavirus infection in Africa? The number of cases and deaths has dropped dramatically in South Africa and remains much lower on the continent than in other parts of the world, prompting experts to consider a surprising hypothesis, according to the BBC.
For months, health experts have warned that congestion and poor hygiene in the slums of African cities could lead to a rapid spread of the coronavirus.
“Population density is a key factor. If there is no possibility of social distancing, the virus will spread,” said Professor Salim Abdool Karim, head of the COVID-19 advisory team in South Africa.
But what if the opposite happens? What if poverty has proven to be an effective weapon against the virus?
At the beginning of the pandemic, all the scenarios showed that Africa would have great problems in the fight against the new coronavirus.
“We thought we were heading for disaster,” said Professor Shabir Madhi, a South African virologist.
And yet, today South Africa has a death rate due to COVID-19 seven times lower than the UK, for example. Even if the number of cases and deaths has not been reported, the difference is still large.
“Most African countries don’t have a peak of illness. I don’t understand why. I’m completely upset, Karim admitted.
Madhi agrees: “It’s an enigma. It’s really incredible.”
For a time, experts believed that the best explanation for the relatively low infection rates in Africa was the average age of the population, much lower than in Europe. But statistics have shown that this is not an important factor.
Certainly, in South Africa, restrictive quarantine measures and clear messages about wearing a mask have contributed.
But in recent days, scientists at the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analysis Unit at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto have come up with a new hypothesis: The population has been widely infected with other coronaviruses, including those that cause many common colds and thus Therefore, you can enjoy some degree of immunity to COVID-19.
Colds and flu are common around the world, but South African scientists have wondered whether, since these viruses have spread more effectively in overcrowded neighborhoods, poorer communities have been more exposed and therefore would enjoy a higher degree of immunity to COVID-19.
“Protection could be much more intense in densely populated areas of Africa. It could explain why most people on the continent have mild or asymptomatic infections,” Madhi said.
“I can’t think of anything else to explain the number of completely asymptomatic people. The numbers are really incredible,” he said.
However, in other countries with slums, such as Brazil and India, the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed.
Web Editor: Monica Bonea
