Vaccinations matter (in Africa, too)
Like everyone, I’m thinking about post-pandemic destinations. And getting to see friends and colleagues from my time helping to set up offices for the Grameen foundation is a high priority. But as someone who knows West and Central Africa well, it’s worth noting a couple of important points — especially as people start to plan their itineraries. And as someone thinking a lot about how to spend my time stuck in the house, I thought why not do something productive and start my first Medium post offering some smart advice?
Perhaps all too often, media reports suggest that Africa has missed the worst of the Pandemic. After all, the logic goes, the continent enjoys for the most part a favorable climate, quick action was taken by governments to contain outbreaks, and public support for safety measures has been high — with some 85% of respondents in some surveys saying they wore masks in the previous week. And flights to the continent are routine, especially between London and Paris and major metropolises with many Westerners showing more confidence in the COVID-19 outlook there than in Europe. But really the data on COVID-19 infections are hard to confirm, not just due to infrastructure but also the youth of the region. People just don’t necessarily get as sick as in countries with older demographics. Moreover, there are now increasingly troubling stories of outbreaks, not only in South Africa, but also in (relatively near-by) Nigeria.
That said, it is becoming clear that COVID is spreading. In Zambia, reportedly nearly twenty percent of all deceased persons brought into the capital city Lusaka’s central morgue tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a new study by the Boston University School of Public Health (SPH). Meanwhile infections in Lagos alone may end up topping the official total of all of Africa. More than twenty percent of all people had Covid-19 antibodies at the end of October, according to a study suggesting infection rates much higher across the country than previously thought.
What this means for the future is far from clear. But the crisis could drag on. As Bloomberg reports, about 4,000 cases of re-infection with Covid-19 have been found in South Africa, Barry Schoub, the chair of the country’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Vaccines, said. “This is probably to a large extent due to the variant” of the virus that was first identified in the country, he said on a webinar on Wednesday. The mutation, which is called B.1.351, was identified in the country last year and since then emerged as the dominant strain in the nation. South Africa, with over 1.5 million documented coronavirus infections and nearly 50,000 deaths, has been the hardest hit country on the continent. But as mentioned above, it is scarcely the only one. Indeed, the variant is already found in at least 20 other countries, many outside Africa, including the UK. And recently, Wisconsin health officials announced that the variant has been found in the state. While the variant is more contagious, researchers have been unable to conclude whether the variant causes more serious COVID-19 risks for infected persons. One of the reported concerns about the South African variant is that it has the potential to elude immune responses in some of those who have already had COVID, or who have been vaccinated.
Good news of course appears to be on the way. President Joe Biden announced just last week that the U.S. would have enough vaccines for all American adults by the end of May, months ahead of earlier estimations. At the same time, Americans have been urged, like their counterparts throughout Africa, to wear masks and maintain social-distancing guidelines — even as some cities and states such as Texas have recently said they would loosen such restrictions.
More than 92 million Covid-19 shots have been administered across the U.S., and approximately 9% of all Americans are currently fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. In its guidance, the agency said people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus should feel free to visit with unvaccinated members of a single household without wearing masks or maintaining social distancing as long as everyone in that household is at low risk for severe cases of Covid-19. Consequently, those people who have been vaccinated are able to begin to normalize their lives, with the assurance that the added layer of protection against the virus will reduce dramatically risks to themselves and loved ones.
That said, the agency has emphasized that all people should avoid bigger gatherings for now. Moreover, despite the increasing global circulation of COVID-19 vaccines, the variants of the virus that emerged in late 2020 may according to recent studies published in the journal Nature and covered in the Hill disrupt the world’s mission to achieve herd immunity.
And again it’s been the South African COVID-19 mutation that may involve pathogens more resistant to immune responses prompted by the available vaccines. Samples of certain types of biological fluids, namely convalescent plasma and vaccinee sera, were collected and studied for the volume of COVID-19-neutralizing antibodies contained among volunteers who recovered from a documented COVID-19 infection. This reportedly heightens concern for potential reinfection. Researchers have discovered a mutatio in the spike protein’s binding sites, which constrains how antibodies produced by the human immune system can fight the virus. Not surprisingly, as concerns over approved vaccines’ efficacy have grown, pharmaceutical companies have issued studies to watch how the variants develop.
In any event, the introduction of better testing is suggesting that the coronavirus is taking a much greater, albeit invisible toll on the continent. And I’m taking from the news that, besides the obvious need to extend support to the people of Africa to stymie mutations that could once again imperil the world, it’s clearly better to stay still and get vaccinated before a trip. Patience truly isn’t such a bad idea. In fact, it may just save your life.
Rachel Loko is a lawyer and former microfinance volunteer. She also counts herself as a lifelong (aspiring!) world traveler (until the Pandemic) and learner. She has lived all over the world, from Nashville to Paris, and from London to West Africa and beyond. Her personal page is here, and twitter can be found here.
