"Why Is East Asia's COVID-19 Outbreak Low? ...The US Takes Notice"

Due to Similar Virus Exposure Experience... Genetic Difference Theory Also
Cultural Differences Such as Handwashing and Wearing Masks

[Asia Economy International Desk Reporter] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surges again mainly in the United States and Europe, questions arise as to why the incidence and mortality rates are significantly lower only in East Asia, including Korea.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 5th (local time) that several theories have been introduced to resolve this question, and some scientists have begun investigations to verify these theories.

The first hypothesis is that some people living in East Asia and Southeast Asia have been exposed to other coronaviruses similar to the novel coronavirus in the past. This exposure experience is believed to have prevented COVID-19 infection or made the illness less severe even if infected.

Yasuhiro Suzuki, a former top medical expert at Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, told WSJ, "There is a theory that colds caused by coronaviruses similar to the novel coronavirus have widely spread in East Asia, and many people have been infected." He added, "As a result of acquiring immunity to similar viruses, people either did not get COVID-19 or did not become critically ill even if infected."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Western scientists have also presented research results suggesting that the immune systems of people previously exposed to coronaviruses causing the common cold can partially recognize the novel coronavirus even upon its first invasion, WSJ reported.

A research team at Boston University in the U.S. revealed that patients with a history of exposure to cold viruses showed better outcomes when infected with COVID-19 compared to other patients. Their paper published in the journal 'Clinical Research' stated that among hospitalized patients, those with prior cold virus exposure had a 70% lower risk of death.

Tatsuhiko Kodama, who studies COVID-19 antibodies at the Tokyo Institute of Technology’s Advanced Science Research Center, speculated that infections with other viruses similar to the novel coronavirus may have repeatedly occurred in East Asia. He argued that repeated outbreaks and exposures are related to the immune response to COVID-19 in East Asia.

There are also strong counterarguments. Tetsuya Mizutani, a virologist at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, refuted the premise that past coronaviruses similar to COVID-19 were confined only to East Asia as nonsensical.

He emphasized that this is especially unlikely given China’s close connections with the rest of the world. Instead, Mizutani suggested that higher rates of mask-wearing and handwashing culture could explain regional differences in the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is also a theory that genetic differences exist between East Asians and people from other regions.

According to WSJ, a joint research team from Australia and the U.S. found genetic features related to coronavirus response in people from China, Japan, and Vietnam, suggesting that East Asians may have started fighting coronavirus pandemics 25,000 years ago and conquered them over thousands of years.

WSJ also reported on a paper stating that genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 were inherited from Neanderthals, but East Asians have almost none of these genetic variants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.