3 ms·

I've also heard conjectures that countries with a BCG innoculation program suffered less - not sure if that applies in Japan.

xeromal 6y ago
That's an interesting point. Looked that up and it's a tuberculosis vaccine?
- lbeltrame 6y ago
  BCG seems to prime the immune system in non-specific ways, although IIRC the exact mechanism is still not well understood. There is a trial in New Zealand, I think, to test whether it gives protection or not. Not sure if they'll be able to finish, given the virus was aggressively stomped there.
- aghillo 6y ago
  It’s also used in low-level bladder cancers as a wash of the bladder. I think it’s a similar idea in that it helps provoke an immunology response that’s been found to be helpful.
klenwell 6y ago
A friend who relocated to Japan mentioned this to me a few weeks ago. I was surprised that I had heard nothing about this in western media, since it seemed like the media was latching on to anything that might offer some hope of treatment or mitigation. The NY Times did run this article on it in early April. From that article: “This vaccine has saved as many lives as the polio vaccine — it’s an amazing story,” said Dr. Curtis, who designed and launched the B.C.G. trial in Melbourne in less than a month, hoping to stay one step ahead of the coronavirus’s spread in Australia. While he described the B.C.G. vaccine as underappreciated, he emphasized that it was “not a specific Covid-19 vaccine.” B.C.G. also cannot be administered to anyone who has a compromised immune system, because it is a live-attenuated vaccine — meaning it contains live but weakened TB. Dr. Faustman said it should not be used in hospitalized patients with active disease, because it may not work fast enough and could interact poorly with other treatments. Not everyone is convinced B.C.G. holds much promise. Dr. Domenico Accili, an endocrinologist at Columbia University, said he thought efforts to use the vaccine against the coronavirus sound “a bit like magical thinking.” While acknowledging that B.C.G. is “a non-specific booster of the immune system,” he said, “we should be able to deploy a more tailored approach.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-vaccine.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-va... I admit I reflexively dismissed it as wishful thinking that would disappear under closer scientific scrutiny. I don't know that that has happened. But it does appear, based on responses here, that there are other bigger social factors at play in Japan's success, if that word is even appropriate at this point. Outside the odd reference here or there like yours, I still haven't organically come across any big articles on BCG in my usual Western sources (which includes wide-ranging outlets like HN, Twitter, and /r/Coronavirus). I am a NY Times subscriber, but that one slipped by me when it was published.

xeromal 6y ago

That's an interesting point. Looked that up and it's a tuberculosis vaccine?

lbeltrame 6y ago
BCG seems to prime the immune system in non-specific ways, although IIRC the exact mechanism is still not well understood. There is a trial in New Zealand, I think, to test whether it gives protection or not. Not sure if they'll be able to finish, given the virus was aggressively stomped there.
aghillo 6y ago
It’s also used in low-level bladder cancers as a wash of the bladder. I think it’s a similar idea in that it helps provoke an immunology response that’s been found to be helpful.

klenwell 6y ago

A friend who relocated to Japan mentioned this to me a few weeks ago. I was surprised that I had heard nothing about this in western media, since it seemed like the media was latching on to anything that might offer some hope of treatment or mitigation. The NY Times did run this article on it in early April. From that article: “This vaccine has saved as many lives as the polio vaccine — it’s an amazing story,” said Dr. Curtis, who designed and launched the B.C.G. trial in Melbourne in less than a month, hoping to stay one step ahead of the coronavirus’s spread in Australia. While he described the B.C.G. vaccine as underappreciated, he emphasized that it was “not a specific Covid-19 vaccine.” B.C.G. also cannot be administered to anyone who has a compromised immune system, because it is a live-attenuated vaccine — meaning it contains live but weakened TB. Dr. Faustman said it should not be used in hospitalized patients with active disease, because it may not work fast enough and could interact poorly with other treatments. Not everyone is convinced B.C.G. holds much promise. Dr. Domenico Accili, an endocrinologist at Columbia University, said he thought efforts to use the vaccine against the coronavirus sound “a bit like magical thinking.” While acknowledging that B.C.G. is “a non-specific booster of the immune system,” he said, “we should be able to deploy a more tailored approach.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-vaccine.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-va... I admit I reflexively dismissed it as wishful thinking that would disappear under closer scientific scrutiny. I don't know that that has happened. But it does appear, based on responses here, that there are other bigger social factors at play in Japan's success, if that word is even appropriate at this point. Outside the odd reference here or there like yours, I still haven't organically come across any big articles on BCG in my usual Western sources (which includes wide-ranging outlets like HN, Twitter, and /r/Coronavirus). I am a NY Times subscriber, but that one slipped by me when it was published.