Thank god for those vaccines /s - OmegaCanada - Formerly known as r/MetaCanada

Thank god for those vaccines /s (i.imgur.com)

posted 2 years ago by Ham_Sandwich77 2 years ago by Ham_Sandwich77 +13 / -2

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– Ontarian 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

Older age is associated with more degenerative and metabolic disorders that have also been shown to heighten the risk of death from COVID-19. Therefore, it is posited that the demographic structure of SSA plays a critical role in the low morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. It is possible that the burden of severe disease and death may be low despite suspected and undetected widespread transmission. In fact, it is possible that widespread transmission has already occurred without precipitating the high death rates seen elsewhere due to the relatively small proportion of elderly and lack of large long-term care facilities for the elderly, which have been the epicenters of mortality in Canada and elsewhere.43 >It is notable that some areas of SSA, such as South Africa, have a much higher median age (27.6 years), which could be a reason for the higher COVID-19 death rates seen there.44

Across SSA, long-term care facilities are almost nonexistent, with the notable exception of South Africa, leaving the provision of care to families.49,50 Large young families with high levels of unemployment and low labor costs enable care to be provided by individual relatives rather than a team of professionals, which limits the number of caregivers that may transmit infection. In the first wave, approximately 33% of South African long-term care facilities experienced outbreaks.51 Furthermore, data from South Africa have demonstrated that COVID-19-related deaths are highly correlated with increased age; approximately 2.2% of all COVID-19-related deaths occurred among persons younger than 30 years, despite their consisting of 54.2% of the population.52,53 This is a further potential explanation for South Africa being an outlier with a higher death rate than in other African countries.54

Further, approximately 70.2% and 67.5% of adults in the United States and Canada, respectively, have been observed to be either overweight or obese (BMI greater than 25).91 Conversely, among countries in SSA, these rates range from 18.1%–38.4%, with exception of South Africa whereby 51.9% of adults are either overweight or obese.91

https://www.ghspjournal.org/content/9/3/433

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– Ontarian 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

South Africa has a higher population density and much higher number of people with HIV, which puts them at greater risk of sever outcomes. The fact that their deaths have not been significantly higher is interesting.

But in the end this is about natural immunity and how it impacts omicrom. It's estimated SA has a 60 to 70% natural immunity level and as a result omicron has not been a serious issue. How widespread is natural immunity in Canada? Probably much less, meaning possibly that many people people will experience serious outcomes, the majority being vaccinated, not unvaccinated.

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– tuchodi -5 points 2 years ago +1 / -6

You said:

South African data suggests wide spread natural immunity

Why do none of your quotes support that? They are all reasons why South Africa's fatality rate is twice as high as Canada's.

What happened to this "wide spread natural immunity" in South Africa that you brought up?

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– Ontarian 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

If Canada would have achieved the same level of natural immunity by this point our number of deaths would be similar to South Africa's, possibly higher due to our higher obesity rate and older population. Not sure why people like you are so fixated on death counts and rates since it was determined early on what the fatality rate is and what contributes to this. Boasting that Canada is somehow better goes back to your racism -- you seem to think that Canada is somehow better than predominantly black South Africa.

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– tuchodi -4 points 2 years ago +1 / -5

If Canada would have achieved the same level of natural immunity

What level? There's no reference to natural immunity in that paper you cited.

The only reference to immunity in it was that some people think some form of partial immunity might have been obtained by the locals because there were local coronavirus strains there that do not exist in Canada. Any partial immunity South-Saharan Africa's residents might have had was not available in Canada.

The only "natural immunity" available to Canadians is through getting the virus, but 2% of the people who test positive for it die. See the "Closed Cases" box at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/.

our number of deaths would be similar to South Africa's

Why would we want that? South Africa's fatality rate from covid is about twice as high as ours. Per million residents ours is 789 (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) and South Africa's is 1,503.

Boasting that Canada is somehow better

You were spreading misinformation. You said "South African data suggests wide spread natural immunity not vaccination is the cause of the low levels of hospitalizations and deaths."

You brought up Africa, not me.

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