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UK study tests whether BCG vaccine protects against COVID
LONDON (Reuters) – The widely used BCG tuberculosis vaccine will be tested on front-line care workers in Britain to determine its effectiveness against COVID-19, researchers leading the British branch of a global trial said.
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, used to protect against tuberculosis, induces a broad innate response of the immune system and has been shown to protect against infection or serious illness with other respiratory pathogens.
“BCG has been shown to increase immunity in a generalized way, which may offer some protection against COVID-19,” said Professor John Campbell of the University of Exeter School of Medicine.
“We are looking to establish whether the BCG vaccine could help protect people who are at risk of contracting COVID-19. If it does, we could save lives by administering or completing this available and cost-effective vaccine. “
The UK study is part of an existing Australian-led trial, which was launched in April and also has guns in the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil. The BCG vaccine is also being tested as protection against COVID-19 in South Africa.
FILE PHOTO: The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory disease first detected in Wuhan, China, is seen in an illustration published by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA January 29, 2020. Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM / CDC / Handout via REUTERS / File Photo
The British trial is recruiting volunteers ahead of the winter months that officials have warned can be difficult as the country faces a second wave of infections.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated that restrictions to curb the pandemic could be in place until spring.
The British arm of the trial, which is carried out from Exeter in the southwest of England, seeks to recruit 1,000 people to work in nearby residences and community health centers.
Globally, more than 10,000 healthcare professionals will be recruited.
Report from Alistair Smout; Christina Fincher Editing
Reuters source:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-bcg/uk-study-tests-if-bcg-vaccine-protects-against-covid-idUSKBN26W089
