Health, Wealth and the Double Paradox of COVID-19 Mortality in Low-Income Countries

9 Pages Posted: 2 Mar 2021 Last revised: 3 Mar 2021

See all articles by Joachim De Weerdt

Joachim De Weerdt

University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management; KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS)

Wim Van Damme

Institute of Tropical Medicine

Date Written: February 8, 2021

Abstract

COVID-19 mortality has remained low in the poorest countries, exposing the fragile link between prosperity and health. Emerging evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 did spread widely in low-income countries, but infections were largely asymptomatic. We suggest the demographic transition, the epidemiological transition and the hygiene hypothesis as three useful frameworks to understand the paradoxical relation between human health and prosperity during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19, low-income countries, demographic transition, epidemiological transition, hygiene hypothesis

Suggested Citation

De Weerdt, Joachim and Van Damme, Wim, Health, Wealth and the Double Paradox of COVID-19 Mortality in Low-Income Countries (February 8, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3793427 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3793427

Joachim De Weerdt (Contact Author)

University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management ( email )

City campus building S
Lange Sint Annastraat 7
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium

KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS) ( email )

Waaistraat 6 - box 3511
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

Wim Van Damme

Institute of Tropical Medicine ( email )

B-2000 Antwerp
Belgium

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