BCG vaccination helps protect against coronavirus

[crazydiamond222]

I just read some really interesting research on how the BCG vaccination might help protect against coronavirus by training the immune system to respond to a variety of infections

www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-vaccine.html

There is also some research showing that countries with worse outbreaks have lower uptake of the BCG vaccine
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.24.20042937v1

In the UK I think it was used quite widely which should be positive news.

I'd be surprised if Iran don't still administer BCG.

Let's wait and see how India fare before jumping to conclusions.

Higher BCG uptake is also strongly correlated with younger populations.

Nice theory.

All the doctors who died in the UK where of Asian or African origin. All of them would have had a BCG due to their ages. (I'm younger than them and BCGs were given at school. When my family or friends who are doctors and nurses where starting their training they checked they had this vaccination amongst others.)

The 13 year old kid who died was from a BAME background. In London if you are. kid from a BAME background you would have a BCG vaccination.

@LittleLittleLittle a clinical study had stated in Australia on this. 1000 clinical workers enrolled. It’s not saying it will prevent Coronavirus deaths/cases, but it may help boost immune systems there by reducing deaths.

Certainly in the UK though those over late 40s would have had it - but are most affected.

Younger people didn't have it and are least affected.

So how's that?

All HCPs will have had the BCG already.

I can't find the paper to link to but there is evidence that the BCG may in the short term protect against other pathogens not just TB, possibly because it stimulates the immune system generally as well as specifically. It is a short term effect though. The BCG is already used as a type of immunotherapy for early stage bladder cancer.

Unfortunately there has been a shortage of the vaccine for many years so it is unlikely to be something that could be used for the general population. It could be used to protect frontline HCPs or the most vulnerable by giving them a booster vaccination.

I didn't have the BCG. I would imagine there are quite a lot of people who haven't had it, especially if you didn't live in the big cities.

Is it compulsory for medical professionals? Even if it is, the viral load that they face might cancel out any advantages.

I did see Mark Porter, the GP who writes for the Times, saying that the pneumonia vaccine might help some people even though it's against bacteria pneumonia as some people with Covid are actually dying of secondary infections. I think it was the vaccine Angela Merkel was having when she came into contact with the doctor who was infected.

Should have read the post above mine!

Most people born in this country post-WWII until the 80s or 90s will have had the BCG, but I thought that the effects wore off after about 30 years.

Yep if you work in healthcare they insist on BCG among other vaccinations - I'm on an allied health professions degree and we all had to either show a good BCG scar or have the test and jab if needed at the start of this year.