Combating Covid-19: India to show the way? BCG vaccine may be ‘antidote’ to Coronavirus, says US study
In fact, analysis of Covid-19 infections showed that rate of Corona+ cases increased by 30% in western countries while in India, it was growing at much lesser 18% rate.
New Delhi: As scientists and researchers across the globe scramble to find solutions to contain the spread of deadly Coronavirus, a US study has found Indian BCG vaccine to the country’s weapon against the disease.
According to researchers, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine given to newborns and children to prevent TB in children offers protection against coronavirus disease.
It may be noted that Covid-19 cases and deaths are higher in countries that do not have universal BCG vaccination of children. European countries like US, Italy, Spain and France while countries like India and China have universal BCG vaccination policy.
In fact, analysis of Covid-19 infections showed that rate of Corona+ cases increased by 30% in western countries while in India, it was growing at much lesser 18% rate.
Few media reports also said that scientists across the globe are testing a 100-year old vaccine for tuberculosis as a protective measure against COVID-19.
TB vaccine called bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is being tested on healthcare workers in Melbourne to see if the vaccine will act as a protective measure against the novel coronavirus, Bloomberg reported.