“…The severe COVID-19 outbreaks in South Africa compared to the rest of Africa cannot be ascribed to differences in ethnicity (so-called genetic differences), age demographics, health burdens, economic activities, molecular diagnostic capacity, or social-political factors ( Mbow et al, 2020 ). Botswana, which borders South Africa and lies at the edge of the South Atlantic Anomaly, has not experienced a severe COVID-19 outbreak, despite shared ethnic-cultural groups (predominately, Bantu tribes), similar age demographic (median age 24–27), underling health burdens (i.e., HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and obesity) and economic development/activities (i.e., mining and tourism) with South Africa ( Lurie and Williams, 2014 ; Thami and Chimusa, 2019 ; Langen, 2005 ). Additionally, the disproportionate severity of COVID-19 outbreaks in South Africa emerged despite the early and stringent governmental interventions to enforce the germ theory-derived public health measures (i.e., social distancing, the wearing of facemasks) ( Mbow et al, 2020 ; Mehtar et al, 2020 ).…”