An AI opinion
Africa experienced a lower COVID-19 death rate compared to other regions despite having low vaccination rates, likely due to a combination of factors:
1. Younger population: Africa has the world's youngest population, with a median age of 19 years. Older age is a major risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes, so Africa's youthful demographics helped reduce mortality[1][2].
2. Prior exposure to coronaviruses: Some experts hypothesize that prior exposure to other coronaviruses that cause common colds may have provided some level of cross-reactive immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in African populations[1][3].
3. Quick action and experience with outbreaks: Many African countries implemented strict mitigation measures early on, drawing from their experience managing previous disease outbreaks like Ebola. This helped limit the spread of COVID-19[1][3].
4. Favorable climate: Some studies suggest that warmer temperatures and higher humidity levels, common in many African regions, may have slowed the transmission of the virus[1][4].
5. Limited international travel: Lower levels of international travel to and from Africa initially reduced the rate of introduction of COVID-19 cases into the continent[3].
6. Rural living and lower population density: A significant portion of Africa's population lives in rural areas with lower population density, which may have limited viral transmission compared to densely populated urban centers[1].
While low testing rates could have led to an underestimation of cases, experts believe the lower death toll in Africa is a real phenomenon, likely attributable to the combination of demographic, environmental, and societal factors mentioned above[1][2][3][4].
Sources
[1] Five reasons why Covid-19 has been less deadly than elsewhere
[2] Why is There Low Morbidity and Mortality of COVID-19 in Africa?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7410455/
[3] Puzzled scientists seek reasons behind Africa's low fatality rates ...
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN26K0AH/
[4] Dynamics of factors associated with rates of COVID-19 cases and ...
https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-023-00918-9
[5] The Conundrum of Low COVID-19 Mortality Burden in sub-Saharan ...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8514030/
