The benefits of living in North America’s middle class cities are crystal clear after a visit to an African shanty town. However, the consequences of being the world’s wealthiest continent for decades are also obvious, when comparing COVID-19 death tolls. Professor Karim, head of South Africa’s ministerial advisory team on Covid-19 says population density is a key factor in spread. But what if there were a reverse impact of poverty on COVID-19 deaths?
Could Density Reduce Impact of Poverty on COVID-19 Deaths?
It’s a bizarre thought to imagine poverty being beneficial in any way. Moreover, the social revolution in South Africa has brought record-breaking levels of obesity, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Therefore, this co-morbidity should produce a death rate on par with the worst in the developed world surely? Yet, South Africa’s COVID-19 mortality is seven times lower than the United Kingdom’s. Why is this?
BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding discussed the impact of poverty on COVID-19 deaths with Prof Karim. ‘Population density is a key factor,’ the head of South Africa’s ministerial advisory team explained. Indeed, South Africa’s sprawling shanty towns have seen some of the worst spikes. ‘Therefore I thought we were heading towards a disaster, a complete meltdown,’ adds Professor Shabir Madhi, South Africa’s top virologist.
Instead, South Africa Emerges from First Wave with Lower Mortality
Social distancing is impractical in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township abutting the N2 Highway. This route links affluent suburbs on the coast to South Africa’s iconic winelands. Every vehicle passing by has an armchair view of one of the top five largest slums in the world. Yet, the mortality rate from almost 60,000 cases is just 2.1% according to Aljazeera News.
Scientists at Vaccine and Infectious Disease Analytics unit at Chris Hani Baragwaneth hospital in Soweto have a theory that might explain this. That’s because they think historic immunity could be behind the reduced impact of poverty on COVID-19 deaths in South Africa.
They believe it is possible people living in overcrowded areas infect each other with milder coronavirus strains of cold and flu repeatedly. And that they may have thereby developed herd immunity able to resist COVID-19’s worst infections because of this.
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Preview Image: View From N2 Highway
