Re-reading ACT, BCG, and Low COVID-19 in Africa

Overview

Journal SN Compr Clin Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2021 Jan 18

PMID 33458569

Citations 2

Authors

Jia Bainga Kangbai

Lawrence Sao Babawo

Daniel Kaitibi

Anthony A Sandi

Angela Magdalene George

Foday Sahr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

October 11, 2020, marks the seventh month since the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Unlike other coronavirus diseases, there is a geographically disproportionate distribution of the incidence of COVID-19 cases around the world. We observed a significantly high COVID-19 cases and deaths in countries and territories with no or very small number of malaria cases or no or low national TB cases in 2018. We speculate that the high incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in countries less affected by malaria is partly due to overexposure to malaria which led to the regular use of the artemisinin anti-malaria drugs as well as the regular use of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for TB prevention. The vaccine produced an almost life-long immunity to TB and meningitis to its recipients. We are thus calling for a COVID-19 containment and clinical management protocol that will incorporate the use of the anti-malaria ACT drug cocktail and BCG vaccine on compassionate ground.

Citing Articles

Extracts and Artemisinin-Based Antimalarials for COVID-19 Management: Could These Be Effective Antivirals for COVID-19 Treatment?.

Agrawal P, Agrawal C, Blunden G Molecules. 2022; 27(12).

PMID: 35744958 PMC: 9231170. DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123828.

Public health-relevant consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Heuschen A, Lu G, Razum O, Abdul-Mumin A, Sankoh O, von Seidlein L Malar J. 2021; 20(1):339.

PMID: 34380494 PMC: 8355579. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03872-2.

References

Napoli P, Nioi M, dAloja E, Fossarello M . Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma. J Clin Med. 2020; 9(5). PMC: 7290727. DOI: 10.3390/jcm9051403. View

Bi Q, Wu Y, Mei S, Ye C, Zou X, Zhang Z . Epidemiology and transmission of COVID-19 in 391 cases and 1286 of their close contacts in Shenzhen, China: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020; 20(8):911-919. PMC: 7185944. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30287-5. View

Bosman A, Mendis K . A major transition in malaria treatment: the adoption and deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapies. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008; 77(6 Suppl):193-7. View

Ahmed A . Incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and countries affected by malarial infections. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2020; 37:101693. PMC: 7194665. DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101693. View

Lee P, Hu Y, Chen P, Huang Y, Hsueh P . Are children less susceptible to COVID-19?. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2020; 53(3):371-372. PMC: 7102573. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2020.02.011. View

Escobar L, Molina-Cruz A, Barillas-Mury C . BCG vaccine protection from severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020; 117(30):17720-17726. PMC: 7395502. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008410117. View

Laufer M, Thesing P, Eddington N, Masonga R, Dzinjalamala F, Takala S . Return of chloroquine antimalarial efficacy in Malawi. N Engl J Med. 2006; 355(19):1959-66. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa062032. View

Gomes L, Martins Y, Ferreira-da-Cruz M, Daniel-Ribeiro C . Autoimmunity, phospholipid-reacting antibodies and malaria immunity. Lupus. 2014; 23(12):1295-8. DOI: 10.1177/0961203314546021. View

Wu Z, McGoogan J . Characteristics of and Important Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in China: Summary of a Report of 72 314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA. 2020; 323(13):1239-1242. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.2648. View

10.

Mohapatra P, Mishra B, Behera B . BCG vaccination induced protection from COVID-19. Indian J Tuberc. 2021; 68(1):119-124. PMC: 7413058. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijtb.2020.08.004. View

11.

Gendrot M, Duflot I, Boxberger M, Delandre O, Jardot P, Bideau M . Antimalarial artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) and COVID-19 in Africa: In vitro inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by mefloquine-artesunate. Int J Infect Dis. 2020; 99:437-440. PMC: 7426697. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.032. View

12.

Kamya M, Bakyaita N, Talisuna A, Were W, Staedke S . Increasing antimalarial drug resistance in Uganda and revision of the national drug policy. Trop Med Int Health. 2002; 7(12):1031-41. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2002.00974.x. View

13.

Eriksen J, Nsimba S, Minzi O, Sanga A, Petzold M, Gustafsson L . Adoption of the new antimalarial drug policy in Tanzania--a cross-sectional study in the community. Trop Med Int Health. 2005; 10(10):1038-46. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2005.01486.x. View

14.

Kublin J, Cortese J, Njunju E, Mukadam R, Wirima J, Kazembe P . Reemergence of chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum malaria after cessation of chloroquine use in Malawi. J Infect Dis. 2003; 187(12):1870-5. DOI: 10.1086/375419. View

15.

Arlehamn C, Sette A, Peters B . Lack of evidence for BCG vaccine protection from severe COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020; 117(41):25203-25204. PMC: 7568270. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016733117. View

16.

Gouda H, Charlson F, Sorsdahl K, Ahmadzada S, Ferrari A, Erskine H . Burden of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Glob Health. 2019; 7(10):e1375-e1387. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30374-2. View

17.

Parodi A, Cozzani E . Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) and Malaria: Have anti glycoprotein antibodies a role?. Med Hypotheses. 2020; 143:110036. PMC: 7314692. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110036. View