ReviewBMC infectious diseases2022
Low incidence of COVID-19 case severity and mortality in Africa; Could malaria co-infection provide the missing link?
Review in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- COVID-19 and malaria co-infection: a systematic review of clinical outcomes in endemic areas.PeerJ · 2024Pooled it
- COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health care workers in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-Plasmodium falciparum and vivax antibodies in urban and rural zones in the West Region of Cameroon.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Lessons and concerns about the SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia Does Not Diminish Neutralizing Antibody Responses After mRNA COVID-19 Booster Vaccination in HIV-infected Adults.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and Co-Infection withInfectious disease reports · 2025Article
- Coinfection of COVID-19 and malaria: clinical profiles, interactions, and strategies for effective control.Malaria journal · 2025Review
- The role of inflammatory gene polymorphisms in severe COVID-19: a review.Virology journal · 2024Review
- Evaluating the feasibility and attitudes towards SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in a rural population in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional survey.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and clinical presentation in individuals exposed to endemic malaria.Cell reports · 2024Article
- Narrative Review Explaining the Role ofInfectious disease reports · 2024Review
- Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in 10 Regional Capitals of Cameroon, October-December 2020.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2024Article
- Economic and social determinants of health care utilization during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic among adults in Ghana: a population-based cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Applied research on the design of protective clothing based on the Kano-QFD-PUGH method.PloS one · 2024Article
- Association of specificFrontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Upper Airway Epithelial Tissue Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Immune Signatures Associated with COVID-19 Severity in Ghanaians.Journal of immunology research · 2024Article
- Article
- Prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in people attending the two main Goma markets in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.Epidemiology and infection · 2023Article
- Key Considerations during the Transition from the Acute Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review.Vaccines · 2023Review
- COVID-19 and Diarylamidines: The Parasitic Connection.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite reports of malaria and coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) co-infection, malaria-endemic regions have so far recorded fewer cases of COVID-19 and deaths from COVID-19, indicating a probable protection from the poor outcome of COVID-19 by malaria. On the contrary, other evidence suggests that malaria might contribute to the death caused by COVID-19. Hence, this paper reviewed existing evidence hypothesizing poor outcome or protection of COVID-19 patients when co-infected with malaria.
methodsPRISMA guidelines for systematic review were employed in this study. Published articles from December 2019 to May 2021on COVID-19 and malaria co-infection and outcome were systematically searched in relevant and accessible databases following a pre-defined strategy. Studies involving human, in vivo animal studies, and in vitro studies were included.
resultsTwenty three (23) studies were included in the review out of the 3866 records identified in the selected scientific databases. Nine (9) papers reported on co-infection of COVID-19 and malaria. Five (5) papers provided information about synergism of malaria and COVID-19 poor prognosis, 2 papers reported on syndemic of COVID-19 and malaria intervention, and 7 studies indicated that malaria protects individuals from COVID-19.
conclusionsLow incidence of COVID-19 in malaria-endemic regions supports the hypothesis that COVID-19 poor prognosis is prevented by malaria. Although further studies are required to ascertain this hypothesis, cross-immunity and common immunodominant isotopes provide strong evidence to support this hypothesis. Also, increase in co-inhibitory receptors and atypical memory B cells indicate synergy between COVID-19 and malaria outcome, though, more studies are required to make a definite conclusion.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.