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More than 200,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 so far. The United States is the country with the most deaths in the world.
At the renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, they have investigated how the coronavirus has affected different countries differently.
The willingness to follow infection control rules, population density and the degree of underlying disease in the population are factors that come into play. But in addition, widespread vaccination against other diseases has been shown to have an effect.
AFFECTS DIFFERENT: Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have taken a closer look at why the coronavirus has affected different countries differently. Photo: Fredrik Græsvik
Researchers have found that people in countries with well-developed vaccine programs are more likely to survive if they become infected with the coronavirus.
– Vaccination against other diseases reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19, says Mayo Clinic doctor Andrew Bradley.
Immunitetstrening
When you get vaccinated, small doses of bacteria and viruses are injected into your body. This means that the body is in a constant state of defense and in a better position to immediately fight a new virus.
– The theory of immune training says that if you have already developed immunity to one disease, it is more likely that you can become immune to another disease, explains Bradley.
BCG tuberculosis vaccine was part of the Norwegian vaccination program until 2009 and was administered to all 12-year-old Norwegian children born before 1995. This is one of several vaccines administered in Norway, which are not widely distributed in the US.
– We know that BCG also protects against other diseases. An example is that those who have received the BCG vaccine are less likely to get malaria. Therefore, there is reason to believe that vaccines can provide cross-protection against COVID-19, says Bradley.
You want more research
Norway’s new global health ambassador, John-Arne Røttingen, says there is still very little knowledge about whether the BCG vaccine actually has an effect against covid-19. He believes more research is needed.
TOO LITTLE KNOWLEDGE: Incoming Global Health Ambassador John-Arne Røttingen believes more research is needed before the BCG vaccine can be said to have an effect against COVID-19. Photo: TV 2
– Although statistically it shows clear connections, there may be many underlying factors that explain the connections, for which we are not aware or do not adjust.
Røttingen says that so far this is uncertain knowledge, but that the hypothesis is stronger if more studies in the future show the same.
