Investigation of the factors potentially responsible for the significant different prevalence of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans

Canping Chen; Wenxiu Cao; Xiaosheng Wang; Canping Chen; Wenxiu Cao; Xiaosheng Wang

doi:10.3934/Allergy.2021014

AIMS Allergy and Immunology

2021, Volume 5, Issue 3: 184-191. doi: 10.3934/Allergy.2021014

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Communication Topical Sections

Investigation of the factors potentially responsible for the significant different prevalence of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans

School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China

Received: 01 February 2021 Accepted: 21 June 2021 Published: 01 July 2021

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 145 million cases and 3 million deaths as of April 23, 2021. Compared with the other continents, Africa had a relatively lower prevalence of COVID-19. However, the African-American population showed a higher COVID-19 susceptibility than the other U.S. populations.
Methods
To investigate the factors that are potentially responsible for the different susceptibility of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans, we collected the data of cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, temperature, humidity, wind speed, age distribution, incidences of age-related diseases, lung diseases, and HIV, and smoking rate in 40 African countries and 50 U.S. states and New York city.
Results
We found that old age, smoking, and age-related diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, COPD, diabetes, hypertension, neoplasms, and stroke) were potential risk factors for COVID-19, while chronic kidney disease, tuberculosis, young age, and temperature were potential protective factors.
Conclusions
The significant differences in the age distribution, incidences of age-related diseases, lung diseases, and HIV, smoking rate, temperature, and humidity could be responsible for the markedly different prevalence of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans.
- COVID-19 pandemic,
- COVID-19 prevalence,
- risk factor,
- protective factor,
- African-Africans,
- African-Americans
Citation: Canping Chen, Wenxiu Cao, Xiaosheng Wang. Investigation of the factors potentially responsible for the significant different prevalence of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans[J]. AIMS Allergy and Immunology, 2021, 5(3): 184-191. doi: 10.3934/Allergy.2021014

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Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 145 million cases and 3 million deaths as of April 23, 2021. Compared with the other continents, Africa had a relatively lower prevalence of COVID-19. However, the African-American population showed a higher COVID-19 susceptibility than the other U.S. populations.

Methods

To investigate the factors that are potentially responsible for the different susceptibility of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans, we collected the data of cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, temperature, humidity, wind speed, age distribution, incidences of age-related diseases, lung diseases, and HIV, and smoking rate in 40 African countries and 50 U.S. states and New York city.

Results

We found that old age, smoking, and age-related diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, COPD, diabetes, hypertension, neoplasms, and stroke) were potential risk factors for COVID-19, while chronic kidney disease, tuberculosis, young age, and temperature were potential protective factors.

Conclusions

The significant differences in the age distribution, incidences of age-related diseases, lung diseases, and HIV, smoking rate, temperature, and humidity could be responsible for the markedly different prevalence of COVID-19 between African-Africans and African-Americans.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the China Pharmaceutical University (grant numbers 3150120001 to XW).

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

Author contributions

Canping Chen: software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, visualization. Wenxiu Cao: software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, visualization. Xiaosheng Wang: conceptualization, methodology, resources, writing original draft, writing review and editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition.

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