0:35: ’’ Australia wants to test BCG against coronavirus
A team of Australian researchers announced on Friday that it has begun testing a large-scale vaccine used for decades against tuberculosis to test whether it can protect healthcare workers from the coronavirus.
The BCG vaccine test will involve a total of some 4,000 caregivers in Australian hospitals to test its ability to reduce symptoms of Covid-19, researchers at the Murdoch Institute in Melbourne said.
“Although originallye developAgainst tuberculosis and still administered to more than 10 million babies each year, BCG also increases the basic immune capacities of the organism, helping it to respond to germs with more strength ”, have said the researchers in a press release.
“We hope to see a reduction in the frequency and severity of Covid-19 symptoms for healthcare workers who have been vaccinated with BCG,” said team leader Nigel Curtis. Similar tests will also be carried out in other countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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