Back to Search Start Over

Recent malaria does not substantially impact COVID-19 antibody response or rates of symptomatic illness in communities with high malaria and COVID-19 transmission in Mali, West Africa

Authors :
John Woodford
Issaka Sagara
Halimatou Diawara
Mahamadoun Hamady Assadou
Abdoulaye Katile
Oumar Attaher
Djibrilla Issiaka
Gaoussou Santara
Ibrahim H. Soumbounou
Seydou Traore
Moussa Traore
Oumar M. Dicko
Sidi Mohamed Niambele
Almahamoudou Mahamar
Bourama Kamate
Bayaya Haidara
Kourane Sissoko
Seydou Sankare
Sadio dite Koni Diarra
Amatigue Zeguime
Justin Y. A. Doritchamou
Irfan Zaidi
Alassane Dicko
Patrick E. Duffy
Source :
Frontiers in immunology. 13
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

Malaria has been hypothesized as a factor that may have reduced the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. To evaluate the effect of recent malaria on COVID-19 we assessed a subgroup of individuals participating in a longitudinal cohort COVID-19 serosurvey that were also undergoing intensive malaria monitoring as part of antimalarial vaccine trials during the 2020 transmission season in Mali. These communities experienced a high incidence of primarily asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021. In 1314 individuals, 711 were parasitemic during the 2020 malaria transmission season; 442 were symptomatic with clinical malaria and 269 had asymptomatic infection. Presence of parasitemia was not associated with new COVID-19 seroconversion (29.7% (211/711) vs. 30.0% (181/603), p=0.9038) or with rates of reported symptomatic seroconversion during the malaria transmission season. In the subsequent dry season, prior parasitemia was not associated with new COVID-19 seroconversion (30.2% (133/441) vs. 31.2% (108/346), p=0.7499), with symptomatic seroconversion, or with reversion from seropositive to seronegative (prior parasitemia: 36.2% (64/177) vs. no parasitemia: 30.1% (37/119), p=0.3842). After excluding participants with asymptomatic infection, clinical malaria was also not associated with COVID-19 serostatus or symptomatic seroconversion when compared to participants with no parasitemia during the monitoring period. In communities with intense seasonal malaria and a high incidence of asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, we did not demonstrate a relationship between recent malaria and subsequent response to COVID-19. Lifetime exposure, rather than recent infection, may be responsible for any effect of malaria on COVID-19 severity.

Details

ISSN :
16643224
Volume :
13
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Frontiers in immunology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....b98416966d936c5b038a2653ce4e6b2c