The Africa Advantage: Real Reasons ‘Underdeveloped Countries’ Unaffected by COVID

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

According to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Dashboard, there have been approximately 9 million confirmed cases and 173,900 deaths from COVID in Africa as of July 2022.

(COVID-19 Cases By WHO Regions)
(COVID-19 Cases By WHO Regions)

These numbers are in sharp contrast to the rest of the world’s infection and death rates. From the start of the pandemic till now, Europe has reported over 239 million confirmed cases and more than 2 million deaths.

“We consider it like a simple cold,” said Illiasou Ibrahim, 53, who works with international non-profit groups in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

Niger is a landlocked country where malaria and meningitis are both endemic and the average life expectancy is only 63 years old.

Yet, Ibrahim told The Epoch Times, he does not know a single person who has died from COVID.

So, either Africans are simply not getting COVID nearly as often as Europeans or, when they do get it, they are not getting sick enough to report it. Either way, Africa is doing much better with COVID than Europe or the United States.

This is not what we would expect. Malnutrition, poverty, lack of access to clean drinking water make healthy living in many places in Sub-Saharan Africa difficult.

We have been told repeatedly by our public health officials that high income countries are more medically advanced and better suited to fight pandemics.

So how is it possible that underdeveloped countries like Niger are largely unaffected by COVID compared to developed countries in the Americas and Europe?

Help from Helminths

In a 2021 paper published in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, a team of scientists from Duke University Medical Center actually predicted that African and other developing countries would have fewer deaths and better outcomes than more economically developed places.

They explained how that modern sanitation can cause a lack of biodiversity within the human body and that this diversity helps the immune system not overreact to viral or bacterial infections.

According to these researchers, the absence of intestinal worms, also known as helminths, among people in high-income countries compromises their health, making them more prone to severe COVID infections.

While proper hygiene is important to stop the spread of infectious disease, not all effects of hygiene are beneficial. In fact, too much hygiene may actually make people more susceptible to some autoimmune conditions, according to the hygiene hypothesis that was first proposed in the British Medical Journal by a British epidemiologist, Dr. David Strachan, in the late 1980s.

By JENNIFER MARGULIS and JOE WANG

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

The Sacred Honor of the 56

Today we're celebrating the sacred honor of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Alligator Alcatraz: A Bold Step Toward Secure Borders

Alligator Alcatraz funded through FEMA, represents a decisive move by the Trump admin to address illegal immigration with efficiency and resolve.

Is America Broke?

Silicon Valley investor and economic commentator Balaji Srinivasan made...

Hungary: Pride™ Cometh Before the Color Revolution

The EU engaged in a diplomatic siege of the Eastern European nation-state of Hungary pressuring it into embrace global trannyism or face wrath of Brussels.

Understanding the Trump/Musk Feud

The passion Trump and Musk exhibit over the OBBB is not contrived or for show. Each is addressing the problem from completely different approaches.

Noem Waives Environmental Restrictions to Fast-Track Water Barriers in Rio Grande

DHS Sec Kristi Noem waived federal environmental laws to fast-track construction of 17 miles of waterborne barriers in the Rio Grande in South Texas.

Federal Officials Warn of ‘Lone Wolf’ Terror Threats on July 4, NY Governor Says

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed that federal officials informed her about a possible terrorist threat ahead of the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

Record 1 in 5 Buyers of New Cars Committing to $1,000-Plus Monthly Payments: Edmunds

The share of new car buyers committing to make monthly payments of $1,000 or more hit an “all-time high” in the second quarter of 2025.

US Economy Adds 147,000 New Jobs, Unemployment Rate Dips to 4.1 Percent in June

The U.S. job market remained strong in June, as labor conditions continued to hold up amid economic uncertainty.

US Keeps Pressure on Chinese Goods Amid Vietnam Trade Deal

Transshipping—rerouting goods through a third country to disguise the origin of the products—is a focal point of trade negotiations with Asian markets.

White House Report Reveals Top Earners, Staffers Working for No Salary

The Trump admin released its yearly report that shows the salaries for White House staffers, also revealing officials who aren’t accepting salaries at all.

Transportation Secretary Urges Governors to Remove Political Messages From Crosswalks, Intersections

Duffy sent letters to governors, mayor of D.C., and gov of Puerto Rico urging them to remove political messaging from intersections and crosswalks.

Bessent: US, India Near Agreement to Lower Tariffs

The United States and India are “very close” to a trade agreement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday.
spot_img

Related Articles