3 ms·

> Just looking at raw stats says Africa did really well with Covid even without the vaccine. Africa is doing surprising well with COVID-19, considering expecta

> Just looking at raw stats says Africa did really well with Covid even without the vaccine. Africa is doing surprising well with COVID-19, considering expectations. Reasons may include: * Not kidding themselves like UK and US did that they were "world leaders", and had this in the bag. (1) * Recent and ongoing experience of combatting other diseases, e.g. HIV, TB, Ebola. 1) "In October 2019, an extensive report two years in the making placed the US and the UK first and second respectively in a global ranking of countries’ pandemic preparedness." https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-coronavirus-pandemic-preparedness-what-went-wrong_uk_5f105b86c5b6d14c3363e8d2 https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-coronavirus-pandem...

ceejayoz 5y ago
Another reason may be better ventilation.
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
  The last time I was in an African city there wasn't air-conditioning as standard in houses. Sure, windows were open in summer, but closed up in winter. Office buildings had the usual levels of ventilation. I can't really describe this as "better" - how about you?
- thoughtstheseus 5y ago
  The population is perhaps much younger in Africa as well? The healthcare system is also less advanced / widespread so there are fewer people living with underlying illnesses that increase the severity of Covid once infected.
nradov 5y ago
Obesity is one of several critical factors. The obesity rate in most African countries is relatively low. https://www.wfae.org/health/2021-09-30/novant-says-9-of-10-children-in-covid-icus-are-overweight-but-public-health-officials-rarely-talk-about-obesity https://www.wfae.org/health/2021-09-30/novant-says-9-of-10-c...
- refurb 5y ago
  Vietnam has low obesity and has one of the higher fatality rates. I’d argue it’s all about how Covid deaths are counted and how widespread testing is. Having worked in healthcare attributing a cause of death is not easy in many cases. There are underlying factors and comorbidities. In Singapore pneumonia deaths were typically 4,000 per year. That went down dramatically with covid. Why? Because they died of covid not pneumonia.

ceejayoz 5y ago

Another reason may be better ventilation.

SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
The last time I was in an African city there wasn't air-conditioning as standard in houses. Sure, windows were open in summer, but closed up in winter. Office buildings had the usual levels of ventilation. I can't really describe this as "better" - how about you?
thoughtstheseus 5y ago
The population is perhaps much younger in Africa as well? The healthcare system is also less advanced / widespread so there are fewer people living with underlying illnesses that increase the severity of Covid once infected.

nradov 5y ago

Obesity is one of several critical factors. The obesity rate in most African countries is relatively low. https://www.wfae.org/health/2021-09-30/novant-says-9-of-10-children-in-covid-icus-are-overweight-but-public-health-officials-rarely-talk-about-obesity https://www.wfae.org/health/2021-09-30/novant-says-9-of-10-c...

refurb 5y ago
Vietnam has low obesity and has one of the higher fatality rates. I’d argue it’s all about how Covid deaths are counted and how widespread testing is. Having worked in healthcare attributing a cause of death is not easy in many cases. There are underlying factors and comorbidities. In Singapore pneumonia deaths were typically 4,000 per year. That went down dramatically with covid. Why? Because they died of covid not pneumonia.