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"Jambo is exploring the hypothesis that Africans have had more exposure to other coronaviruses that cause little more than colds in humans, which may provide some defense against COVID-19. Another possibility is that regular exposure to malaria or other infectious diseases could prime the immune system to fight new pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, Boum adds. Barasa, on the other hand, suspects genetic factors protect the Kenyan population from severe disease."
I read a similar article in maybe September or October 2020 that had a very similar hypothesis but was expanded to 'the pandemic has appeared to spare Africa (except South Africa) India, and Southeast Asia so far- is it because those places have other coronavirus exposures and strains?'
And then it was India where the virus mutated into the Delta variant that's caused so much global grief in 2021. So run with the thought experiment and ask if an environment where there is resistance to covid-19 and it spreads as a mild illness also an environment where you're morel likely to get a serious virus mutation in an area with incomplete natural immunity?
Is SSA going to produce a variant as bad as India has?
Low positivity does not explain the very low testing in poorer African countries and how that corresponds to cases per million. In fact you have not proven that positivity rates in Africa mean the same thing as in developed counties where testing and reporting is widespread and in Africa where it is not.
Even Seychelles proves not enough tests are being done. 2nd highest case count per million in the world yet 140th out of 220 in testing per million. South Africa is #18 in cases per million worldwide yet #122 in testing. Clearly the problem in Africa is under testing or undereporting test results.
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 11-16-2021 at 08:40 AM..
Low positivity does not explain the very low testing in poorer African countries and how that corresponds to cases per million. In fact you have not proven that positivity rates in Africa mean the same thing as in developed counties where testing and reporting is widespread and in Africa where it is not.
Even Seychelles proves not enough tests are being done. 2nd highest case count per million in the world yet 140th out of 220 in testing per million. South Africa is #18 in cases per million worldwide yet #122 in testing. Clearly the problem in Africa is under testing or undereporting test results.
When you do 100 tests, and 99 turn out negative, what does that tell you? Sure, if you increase testing, you will catch more cases. But when you test less, you catch more serious cases and positivity is higher.
And when the find a body they just put it in a hole. No tests or anything.
Africans live in extended families and their communities are tightly knit. You know what your entire town is doing unlike here [USA] where most people don’t even know their neighbors.
If there was a deadly pathogen killing their elders they’d know about it!
When you do 100 tests, and 99 turn out negative, what does that tell you? Sure, if you increase testing, you will catch more cases. But when you test less, you catch more serious cases and positivity is higher.
Obviously I understand what it means. Do you have proof that a 1% positivity rate in Africa means exactly the same thing as it does in America? The USA has done 2M tests per 1M Americans. Chad for example has done 8k tests per 1M people. Who is being tested in Chad? How easy is it to get one? If 2M people per 1M were tested the past 20 months in Chad, how do you think there case count would look? And Chad for example has much higher positivity rate than America.
You just keep repeating positivity percentage is low and that somehow cancels out the mountain of evidence that points to a lack of testing being the reason case numbers are low. And you point to a lack of vaccinations as a reason why cases are low in Africa even though this disparity existed before the vaccine came out. And the only real constant is a lack of testing. Or some say its due to Hydroxychloroquine which might help but seems to work well in African countries who simply have a lack of covid testing and not well in African counties who do a lot of testing. Which brings us back to the same conclusion. Simply a lack of testing makes Africa appear to be doing much better than it is.
One more fact. In Chad it costs about $30 to get a covid test. $70 if you do not have the vaccine. $50 is the GDP per person per month. Imagine if a covid test was $5,000 out of pocket here. Who do you think would get that test? Do you think that might effect positivity rates?
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 11-16-2021 at 11:22 AM..
Sweden already went that route with success, but Africa doesn't have a choice.
The western world hasn't given them enough vaccines.
They have herd immunity and it's working, so the west looks really stupid right now. The liberals eugenics plan against Africans won't come to fruition, because covid isn't as deadly as they wish.
If you're happy with people dying in the streets then sure, go for it!
Personally I'm happy that (thanks to the vaccines only) the UK has been living 'restrictions free' since July!
If you want to know just how much the vaccinations protect people from DEATH then read on here:-
One more fact. In Chad it costs about $30 to get a covid test. $70 if you do not have the vaccine. $50 is the GDP per person per month. Imagine if a covid test was $5,000 out of pocket here. Who do you think would get that test? Do you think that might effect positivity rates?
I'd imagine someone from a middle-class or above background, who has severe symptoms would shell out the money for such a test.
Since they would have strong symptoms, I'd imagine positivity would be high as only very sick people would be getting it.
We'd also imagine CFR should be high. CFR = case fatality rate, as only the sickest are getting testing.
And in Chad, the CFR is 3%. In the USA, CFR is 2%. In Mexico CFR is 8%.
Mexico only tests people in the hospital, usually, hence their high CFR.
USA does a lot of testing, and has a world class medical system, so we'd expect a country with basically no medical system, and only testing the most desperate of patients to have a far higher CFR.
We can do this all day, face it, little virus in Africa.
If you're happy with people dying in the streets then sure, go for it!
Personally I'm happy that (thanks to the vaccines only) the UK has been living 'restrictions free' since July!
If you want to know just how much the vaccinations protect people from DEATH then read on here:-
We can do this all day, face it, little virus in Africa.
No. Less reported cases in Africa than elsewhere. Its not clear that there is less virus. Less testing, yes for sure. But drawing a connection between vaccine distribution and virus cases is disingenuous. They also don't have a lot of money. So perhaps having a disposable income contributes to covid. Which continents have the most cases? N. America and Europe. Also at the top of wealth. So there you go. Easy to connect all sorts of ridiculous dots that mean nothing.
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 11-16-2021 at 01:22 PM..
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Which continents have the most cases? N. America and Europe. Also at the top of wealth. So there you go. Easy to connect all sorts of ridiculous dots that mean nothing.
