Pasha 115: Five ideas about why so many top African officials have died of COVID‑19
The deaths have important symbolic value and have been associated with shifts in COVID-19 policies in some countries.
Primary Results
Tanzania’s COVID‑19 response puts Magufuli’s leadership style in sharp relief
The president’s handling of the pandemic has been one of the more eccentric on the continent.
Poor nutrition changes the way a body fights infection: this might protect against severe COVID‑19
Deficient leptin levels caused by malnutrition might protect against severe COVID-19 and related death. This could be another reason for the lower than expected COVID-19 deaths in Africa.
South Africa’s latest COVID‑19 lockdown puts spotlight back on vaccination failures
South Africa didn’t engage early enough with pharmaceutical companies in bilateral discussions to ensure it could get vaccines early.
Excluding migrants undermines the success of COVID‑19 vaccine rollouts
Failure to ensure access for all to prevention and treatment, including vaccines, undermines national responses to COVID-19.
Treatment of COVID with antibiotics could add to the problem of drug resistance
The quest to find treatment for COVID-19, and the uncertainty surrounding the clinical outcome, necessitates the use of antibiotics in the treatment package.
Africa’s scientists set out their COVID‑19 research priorities
Some of the priorities were drawn from the World Health Organisation’s Roadmap; others were expressed by researchers in and from Africa as being important to the continent’s many contexts.
Vaccinating Africa against COVID‑19: riding a roller coaster of poor information
Recent uncertainty over blood clots and vaccine expiration dates have taken a toll on public confidence.
COVID‑19 vaccine trials in Africa: what’s promising, and what’s problematic
There are three promising COVID-19 trials.
TB, HIV and COVID‑19: urgent questions as three epidemics collide
Very little is known about the relationship between COVID-19 and HIV and TB. What is known is that people’s lungs are affected by all three.
Secondary Results
