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AFRICA EMERGES AS CORONAVIRUS "COLD SPOT," DO GENES HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH CURE?
Apr. 1, 2020
Genetic Literacy Project reports:
To view the complete report, click here.
Do diseases discriminate on the basis of 'race'-or their genetic population, using more precise terminology?
On the surface, this may seem like an inflammatory question, bringing together the loaded term 'discriminate' and the contentious and the historically problematic concept of 'race'-all set against the xenophobic backdrop of the current Covid-19 pandemic. But it's precisely the ballooning coronavirus crisis that suggests the answer might be in part, 'yes'.
And if that's the case, what can we learn as scientists around the world rush to unmask the genetic mysteries of the spreading pandemic and come up with viable treatments or a vaccine that works for as many people as possible? This is a question that must be carefully asked and precisely answered.
A review of the world map of confirmed cases of the coronavirus and the deaths that it has caused shows unusual anomalies: The world's second most populated continent, Africa, has seen the fewest cases, 5252, through March 30 according to the World Health Organization, despite the fact that Africa has extensive trade and travel relations with China, where the outbreak originated.
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