Whether shutdowns, shutdowns, and other restrictive measures can reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths has been a hotly debated topic since early 2020. considering the global statistics, they have been plagued by low rates of infections and deaths across sub-Saharan Africa,first compared to industrialized nations that have used different lockdown procedures to contain the spread.
Around the world, countries have taken different approaches to tackle the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In a short documentary released by CAN, they compare COVID-19 outcomes in Scotland and Sweden.2 By March 2020,3 Scotland has implemented strict lockdowns and closed schools and other social venues. People were threatened with fines by the police if they went outside to exercise once a day, go to work or buy food.4
On the other hand, Sweden’s handling of the pandemic is different from most countries in the world and was initially criticized for its laxer restrictions and lack of strict containment measures.5 In October 2020, TIME called the response “catastrophe”,6 but data have shown that mortality in Sweden is consistent with other years.7 In other words, the number of excess deaths that can be attributed to COVID-19 is very small.
Information compiled by CAN films shows that the response in Sweden, which has nearly twice the population of Scotland, had significantly less impact on the economy and the health of its people, as did almost half higher mortality rate than Scotland.8 Scotland has had three lockdowns, 64 schools closed and a 54% increase in weight gain, while Sweden has had no courses, no school closures and no weight gain.
Sub-Saharan Africa has avoided COVID-19
During the Thanksgiving holiday 2021, the media reported that a new COVID-19 variant, named Omicron, had been identified in South Africa.9 This variant differs in that doctors report “unusual” but mild symptoms, with fatigue being the most common complaint. In response, the rest of the world immediately issued a travel ban to and from South Africa.
Interestingly, steps taken in Africa during the pandemic have varied from country to country, yet infection and death rates have been relatively stable and low across the continent.ten In the last year, there have been reports of small areas of the world having significantly lower infections, deaths or mortality rates than the rest of the world.
Eg,11 The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh reports a recovery rate of 98.6% and no further infections. On the other hand, the entire African continent seems to have passed the large number of infections and deaths predicted for these poorly funded countries with these overcrowded cities.
Early estimates were that millions would die as the pandemic swept through Africa. However, that prospect did not materialize. According to AP News,twelfth less than 6% of the continent is vaccinated, and for months the World Health Organization has called Africa “one of the least affected regions in the world.”13
In a bustling market outside Harare, AP News spoke to Nyasha Ndou, who carried a mask in his pocket. Hundreds of other people, most of whom were not anonymous, were present in the market. Ndou explained about the mask in his pocket:14
“COVID-19 is gone, when was the last time you heard of anyone dying from COVID-19? The mask was to protect my wallet. The police asked for a bribe so I would lose my money if I didn’t wear a mask. ”
According to data from WorldoMeter, the population of Africa15 17.46% of the world’s population16 However, AP News reports that WHO data shows that the number of deaths in Africa accounts for 3% of all global deaths, while the number of deaths is in countries with good health care. much higher, such as 46% in the Americas and 29% in Europe.17
Nigeria has the highest population in Africa and the government has recorded only 3,000 deaths out of the 200 million people living in the country. In the United States, AP News reports that more people die every two or three days.18
Some early credit lock with low number of infections
Around the world, countries and communities have stepped in to help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of the virus. Lesotho, the southernmost landlocked country in the world and surrounded by South Africa, has locked down the country and its borders before one gets sick.19
In March 2020, the country declared a state of emergency, closed schools and went into a three-week lockdown. In early May, the ban was lifted and the country recorded its first confirmed cases. The BBC reported in October 2020 that in a country of 2 million people, it has recorded 40 deaths within five months and about 1,700 cases.20
That number rose to 4,137 cases in January 2021 when nationals from South Africa crossed the border during the holiday season.21 In addition to those crossing the border, the government soon released people from the quarantine area because of concerns about the cost.
However, experts believe thousands of people crossed the border illegally because they couldn’t afford their COVID-19 test.22 In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in January, the prime minister issued a curfew for social venues such as bars and nightclubs at 8pm.
While the swift action some countries took to contain their populations may have slowed the spread of the virus in the early days, SARS-CoV-2 is an endemic species. This means it is in the environment and there is no amount of lockdown that will remove the virus.
It also means that once the lockdown is reopened, viruses will continue to spread, just like flu and cold viruses. Countries like Lesotho that were locked out early became infected after the embargo was lifted. One advantage to flattening the curve and reducing infections early in the pandemic is that doctors could have used the time to improve treatment protocols.
Dr. Vladimir Zelenko23 and Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance24 are two examples of doctors and groups of doctors who have developed treatment regimens in 2020 that have proven to be successful.25,26,27,28 and reduce the number of individuals with severe disease or persistent symptoms.
Factors that can affect the rate of infection
There are several factors that can influence infection rates in Africa. In the video above, Dr. John Campbell shows the dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases in Japan starting in August, just 12 days after doctors were legally allowed to prescribe ivermectin to their patients.29
Use Google translate,30 Campbell learned that Dr. Haruo Ozaki, President of the Tokyo Medical Association, noted the low number of infections and deaths in Africa, where many people use ivermectin prophylactically.thirty first and is a core strategy for breast cancer treatment,32 a parasitic disease also known as river blindness. More than 99% of those infected live in 31 African countries.
Other drugs commonly available in Africa have also proven effective against COVID-19. For example, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have long been used in the treatment and prevention of malaria.33 Zelenko has announced successful results using hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19.
Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in many developing countries in Africa. The disease is caused by a parasite carried by infected female mosquitoes.34 and is characterized by flu-like symptoms. Delays in treatment increase the severity of the disease and the risk of death. According to WHO35 There were 219 million cases of malaria diagnosed in 2017 and 92% of them were in the Africa region.
Finally, Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, is an herb used in combination therapies to treat malaria.36 It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years to treat fevers. Today artemisinin, a metabolite of Artemisia, is the current treatment of choice for malaria. This plant has also been studied since the 2003 SARS outbreak to treat coronavirus, with good results.37,38
Like BBC39 indicates that the average age in most African countries is much lower than in the rest of the world. Since many people have died over the age of 80, and the average age in Africa is 19, infections are much less likely to result in death. Only 3% of the population is over 65 compared to 16.9% in North America40 and 19.2% in Europe.41
In addition, residential aged care facilities are rare in most African countries.42 Weather may also play a role in who gets COVID: Early in the pandemic, researchers from the University of Maryland43,44 found a correlation between the spread of COVID-19 and temperature, humidity, and latitude. They found the virus seemed to spread better when humidity and temperature dropped.
In addition, mild weather and sunny skies like those you see in Africa increase the likelihood of populations having epidemic vitamin D levels.45,forty six,47
What does vaccination mean in sub-Saharan Africa?
Low numbers of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan African populations continue despite vaccination rates below 6%. While. Vaccination rates in Western nations are soaring, but they struggle with rising infection and death rates. With statistics like these, why do Nigerian officials seem to ignore the low numbers and health status of the country by announcing that they will step up the vaccination schedule, hoping to vaccinate half the population before February.48
Simply put, their goal is “herd immunity” in an unaffected population. Oyewale Tomori, is a virologist from Nigeria who joins several WHO advisory groups. He believes that vaccination levels do not need to be as high as in the West. Salim.
But Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist in South Africa who has advised the previous government on COVID-19, disagrees. He is calling for a comprehensive vaccination program to “prepare for the next wave”.49 denying what has happened in Africa in the last 20 months. “Looking at what’s happening in Europe, the likelihood of more cases spilling over here is very high,” he said.
So, as African countries have had lower rates of infection and death since the start of the pandemic inoculating more and more of their populations, one can’t help but wonder: Once vaccination programs are in place. vaccinations are taken, will mortality rates increase as they do in other parts of the world where vaccination levels are high?50,51,52
And if they do, how will “medical experts” explain the spike in infections and deaths on a continent that has so far avoided pandemic levels of COVID-19?
