Hello Quartz readers,
In the early days of the pandemic, doctors treating Covid-19 patients with convalescent plasma didn’t really know how or whether it was working—they just hoped it was. Some labs tested the blood plasma, donated by people who had recovered from coronavirus infections, for antibody levels, but they weren’t consistent. “People were using a variety of tests or no test at all,” explains Shmuel Shoham, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University.
So when the US Food and Drug Administration finally authorized convalescent plasma (pdf) for emergency use on Aug. 23, the agency added in a smidge of standardization. The existing research suggests that plasma units with a higher level of antibodies work better to fight infections, so the FDA will now require blood banks to test and classify those units by high or low antibody counts, called titers.
It’s just a baby step: The FDA has only picked one test to analyze those antibody levels (Katherine Foley explains why). But with this added test, doctors can be a little more confident in the donations they’re using to treat patients, and scientists can hopefully learn more about what makes plasma work.
Okay, let’s get started.
Kenya explain it?
Among its global peers, Kenya’s coronavirus numbers stand apart. The majority of Kenyans who get Covid-19 seem to be asymptomatic—around 80%, according to health cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe. And officially, just 624 people in the country have died of the virus. While the true total is likely higher, as the country’s testing capacities are limited, it’s still a strikingly small proportion of official case counts: less than 2%.
The reason for Kenya’s low death count is unclear, but the country’s youthfulness is likely a major factor. Half of Kenya’s population is younger than 20, and younger people tend to cluster in cities like Nairobi and Mombasa. Meanwhile, only 4% of Kenyans are 60 or older, and most of that group lives in rural areas. That separation created its own problems during lockdowns—including food scarcity—but may well have protected against the virus’s spread.
Other possible theories for Kenya’s low number of deaths, including whether medications and vaccines for other conditions could help prevent severe effects, are still being investigated. HIV, unexpectedly, doesn’t seem to increase the likelihood of severe Covid-19 infections. Anne Barasa, an immunologist at the University of Nairobi, says it’s possible that antivirals taken for HIV provide a broadly protective effect. Close to a million people, around 2% of Kenya’s population, are on antiviral HIV medication.
Tuberculosis or polio vaccines could be a factor, as could genetics. Perhaps Kenyans boosted their immune systems from exposure to other, less deadly, strains of coronaviruses. No explanation can be definitively ruled out.
As in the rest of the world, Kenya’s epidemic is far from over, and the country’s healthcare system can struggle even if severe symptomatic cases remain relatively low. Elsewhere in Africa, several other countries report similarly low mortality rates. Scientists are still unraveling why coronavirus has had a less severe effect on some populations. When they do determine a cause, the answers could help other countries bolster their defenses.
Continental gift
Globally, there is only one strain of SARS-CoV-2. But there are more than 1,000 lineages of the novel coronavirus in circulation around the world. Viral lineages are formed when genetic mutations do not change the physiology of the virus. In Nigeria, scientists have identified seven lineages of SARS-CoV-2.
Line art
As the New York City Sanitation Department’s first and only artist-in-residence, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, has an oeuvre she calls “maintenance art”—a meditation on the nobility and genius of service workers.
Ukeles’s latest piece, which can now be seen in subway stations, on a giant screen in Times Square, and splayed across the façade of the Queens Museum, celebrates the everyday heroism of the city’s essential workers. “I didn’t know how to make any sense of this pandemic. I just felt that our world went away and left people vulnerable,” Ukeles told Quartz. “Then I read about the plight of New York’s subway workers. They place their bodies out there every single day to keep the city flowing, yet they are not often seen or appreciated.”
It’s alive
As economic indicators keep pouring in, there’s a lot to keep track of. That’s why we built the coronavirus living briefing, a dashboard of sorts for Covid-19’s impact. Here are some stories we’re watching this week:
📉 India’s government says it doesn’t have any data that can clearly show how many migrant workers lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
❄️ Carbon dioxide is another bottleneck for vaccine distribution. Dry ice will likely be needed to transport some vaccines, and lockdowns have created a shortage of CO2.
👕 H&M beat profit expectations, with a pre-tax profit of nearly $230 million for the June-August quarter. That’s still around 60% lower than the same quarter last year.
🇬🇧 The UK’s unemployment rate rose for the first time since lockdown. But with a furlough scheme approaching its controversial end, unemployment is now expected to skyrocket.
The full living briefing is just one of many things we do for Quartz members, along with writing exclusive guides, developing custom presentations, and naming our children and pets in their honor. To enjoy these benefits, and support our journalism, sign up today.
You asked
Can the flu shot make you sick?
Like most misconceptions that stick around, there’s a little truth to this one. Yes, it’s normal to feel peaky—fatigued, achey, or warm with a low-grade fever—after getting a flu shot. About 10% of people do. But what you’re feeling is the body’s defense system gearing up, a sign that you’ll be protected from the actual virus.
Most versions of the flu shot are comprised of inactivated viruses, meaning they can’t actually infect your cells. But they do activate the immune system. That inflammatory reaction can cause a bit of a fever or a tiny swollen lump near the injection site, and the hard work of building antibodies can make you tired.
It’s also possible to get sick after getting the flu shot, but it wouldn’t be a result of the vaccine itself. If your body was in the early stages of fighting off another kind of infection, like a cold or strep throat, and then you get the shot, your B-cells could get overwhelmed. It also takes about two weeks for your body to whip its flu antibodies into shape; you could pick up a flu strain in the window between getting your jab and when protection kicks in.
Bottom line: Get a flu shot, and get it early.
Essential reading
- The latest 🌏 figures: 29.4 million confirmed cases; 19.7 million classified as “recovered.”
- Harsh lessons: Closing schools for Covid-19 hurts students’ financial future.
- Bubble up: How to carpool safely during Covid-19.
- Important question: Can cities survive without office workers?
- More important question: Is this the end of the buffet?
Our best wishes for a healthy day. Get in touch with us at needtoknow@qz.com, and live your best Quartz life by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Katherine Ellen Foley, Olivia Goldhill, Christian Happi, Anne Quito, and Kira Bindrim.