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Original poster

BCG tuberculosis vaccine may be protective against COVID-19

139 replies

rvby · 07/04/2020 21:24

economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/nations-without-bcg-vaccination-saw-higher-cases/articleshow/74956201.cms?from=mdr

Countries with a broad BCG vaccination program seem to have 1/10 the infection rates and illness rates compared to those without such a program. Sounds like there will be some trials of the vaccine for frontline staff to see if it helps reduce mortality.

I grew up in a developing country and received the BCG. Turns out it protects me from all kinds of bugs! Not just coronaviruses...

OP posts:
ofwarren · 07/04/2020 22:17

Is that true @thelittlefox? I also thought it was because of antibodies.
Only 1 person in our school year reacted to it. He was so pleased 🙈

aut0replenish · 07/04/2020 22:18

I’m confused. Everybody had it.There was a thing on the BBC in an ICU unit and several patients in their 50s were in there. Surely they would have had the vaccine.

RuffleCrow · 07/04/2020 22:20

That's not what we were told at school @thelittlefox. They said very clearly that the rash would show we didn't need it. Are you saying they lied?!

dementedpixie · 07/04/2020 22:21

If it only lasts anywhere from 15 to 60 years then maybe protection has worn off in those patients

Hollie089 · 07/04/2020 22:22

Countries who regularly eat fish and chips have an increased rate of infection.

Correlation doesn't mean causation.

Casino218 · 07/04/2020 22:23

I've got two BCG vaccinations- one in each arm. I still caught CV!

DoTheNextRightThing · 07/04/2020 22:23

Wouldn't that mean that more young people would be getting COVID instead of older people? I did get a BCG vaccine but only because I was exposed to someone with TB. It had stopped being routine a few years prior to that. Hardly anyone my age has had the vaccine - yet hardly anyone my age is getting COVID...

Hollie089 · 07/04/2020 22:23

*Of course people in those countries, not actual countries eating fish and chips Grin

dementedpixie · 07/04/2020 22:24

This explains the pre test for bcg:

The Mantoux testassesses your sensitivityto a substance called a tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) when it'sinjected into your skin.

The greater the reaction, the more likely it is that an individual is infected with or has active TB.

In this case, the individual should not have theBCG vaccine,as it would haveno clinical benefit and may cause unpleasant side effects.

If you have a strongly positive Mantoux result, you should be referred to a TB specialist team for further assessment.

If the Mantouxtestis negative, you can go ahead and have the BCG vaccine.

CheriLittlebottom · 07/04/2020 22:26

I had it at school (age 36).

Currently ill with covid-19.

Didn't work for me!

Polkadotties · 07/04/2020 22:28

I’m 31, my year at school had it. I was the only one of about 330 kids who reacted and didn’t have to have it

Original poster
rvby · 07/04/2020 22:29

Yeah it looks preliminary, and even if it were a causative link it doesn't seem to completely protect the person. Interesting though. If the link is causal, it could be a leg up the ladder in beating this thing.

OP posts:
PigInASlanket · 07/04/2020 22:34

Completely irrelevant but did anyone else have a different test? I had the six needle test then subsequent BCG.
No scar to prove it later on when joining healthcare so they tested me again but this time with a transdermal injection. Eugh! Horrible Envy

EnglishRain · 07/04/2020 22:37

I'm 27 and didnt get BCG vaccine at school. My brother who is 30, did.

KeepYourselfGrounded · 07/04/2020 22:37

I have had that vaccine, as have my DC, though we've all had symptoms. Fever, cough, aches, etc.

aut0replenish · 07/04/2020 22:38

So could you have a milder version of CV?

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 07/04/2020 22:47

I'm 37 and I got the TB jab. I had a irritating cough and that's it. Not sure if it was Covid or not.

IronNeonClasp · 07/04/2020 22:47

It doesn't necessarily mean you won't get it ! Just that it may be milder

IronNeonClasp · 07/04/2020 22:50

@PigInASlanket Yes that was nicknamed the 6 needle 'daisy' circa 1986

PigInASlanket · 07/04/2020 22:53

Sorry, I wasn't being very clear. It was the second test, in my 20's which was transdermal which I've never heard anyone else have. It was grim!

aut0replenish · 07/04/2020 22:54

So if true this would mean Dh and I had some kind of protection but not the dc.Sad

AgentCooper · 07/04/2020 22:56

I’m 34 and reacted to the skin test so I didn’t get it. I remember my mum telling me she was the same.

At the time it was indeed suggested that this meant we had immunity!

IronNeonClasp · 07/04/2020 22:58

I wonder (pure wonder) if MMR and similar vaccination programmes might protect kids?

SirVixofVixHall · 07/04/2020 23:01

I had a fairly strong reaction to the daisy stamp, but they decided to give me the jab anyway. Classmate had such a strong reaction to the daisy that she had to be sent straight to her GP as they were concerned she actually had TB !! (She was ok, but certainly had a lot of antibodies).

PrimalLass · 07/04/2020 23:02

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.01.20049478v1.full.pdf

Here's the paper.