Can BCG vaccination be protective against COVID 19?

Dear All,

Many studies are now in place concerning utility of BCG vaccine in prevention and the results could be available shortly. But the question is what can a vaccine administered now to prevent a disease do in the midst of a pandemic. As I understand, maybe I am wrong, even vaccination will take a while to acquire Immunity and this cannot take place overnight. But I suppose something is better than none. One study, yet to be published looked at Covid-19 instances and mortality for 15 days between 9 and 24 March in 178 countries and concluded that ‘incidence of Covid-19 was 38.4 per million in countries with BCG vaccination compared to 358.4 per million in the absence of such a program. The death rate was 4.28/million in countries with BCG programs compared to 40/million in countries without such a program’. Ashish Kamat mentioned that ‘while we expected to see a protective effect of BCG, the magnitude of the difference (almost 10 fold) in incidence and mortality (of Covid-19) between countries with and without a BCG vaccination program was pleasantly surprising’. He also commented that ‘Indians have always been at the forefront of advances in medicine; here it is ironic that one of our oldest immunotherapies (BCG, used in India for decades) might help against the newest threat facing our civilization’.

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

I would urge all the view the video brought out by Ashish Kamat on ‘The BADAS Trial: BCG Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 to Protect Health Care Workers by Enhanced Trained Immune Responses’

https://www.urotoday.com/video-lectures/covid-19-and-genitourinary-cancers/video/mediaitem/1716-the-bactir-trial-bcg-vaccination-against-sars-cov-2-to-protect-health-care-workers-by-enhanced-trained-immune-responses.html

How long this lockdown in India can continue? Every day of the ongoing lockdown will cost the Indian economy $4.64 billion. Even the affluent are getting affected by this lockdown and then what to mention regarding the poorer section which is in more abundant in India. Wion Channel Yesterday mentioned that even Mukesh Ambani has lost considerable wealth since lockdown and he has even dropped out of the 10 Top Billionaire status. A similar fate has fallen on Adani Group as well. Will our Govt take all these facts of these billionaires and as well as the fate of garibi’s when considering lifting the lockdown or as IMA has suggested the Lockdown should continue for a longer period of atleast two wks and health should be the priority over Economy. A difficult situation, to say the least.

We are all now actively having Teleconferencing Programme via ZOOM. Even the Govt of India are having their important meetings via ZOOM so as to implement Social distancing. Yesterday, I saw that Hon. Rajnath singh conducting a video conferencing through ZOOM. Do you all know that ZOOM is owned by a Chinese Entrepreneur who has leapfrogged into the top 10 Billionaire status yesterday? Having ZOOM teleconferencing by us Urologists and the likes may not be harmful but what about the Govt using ZOOM for teleconferencing.

With warm regards,

Venu

 

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