BCG as a game-changer to prevent the infection and severity of COVID-19 pandemic?
Autor
Sharma, A.R.
Batra, G.
Kumar, M.
Mishra, A.
Singla, R.
Singha, R.S.
Medhi, B.
Institución
Resumen
The impact of COVID-19 is changing with country wise and depend on universal immunization policies. COVID-19 badly affects countries that did not have universal immunization
policies or having them only for the selective population of countries (highly prominent population) like Italy, USA, UK, Netherland, etc. Universal immunization of BCG can provide great
protection against the COVID-19 infection because the BCG vaccine gives broad protection
against respiratory infections. BCG vaccine induces expressions of the gene that are involved
in the antiviral innate immune response against viral infections with long-term maintenance
of BCG vaccine-induced cellular immunity. COVID-19 cases are reported very much less in the
countries with universal BCG vaccination policies such as India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Israel, Japan, etc. as compared to without BCG implemented countries such as
the USA, Italy, Spain, Canada, UK, etc. BCG vaccine provides protection for 50---60 years of
immunization, so the elderly population needs to be revaccinated with BCG. Several countries
started clinical trials of the BCG vaccine for health care workers and elderly people. BCG can
be uses as a prophylactic treatment until the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine.
© 2020 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana, ˜ S.L.U. All rights reserved.