Those little BCG scars, HIV and SA’s VERY low Covid-19 rate - Prof Alan Whiteside

As the Covid-19 death toll heads towards 120,000 worldwide from an overall number of reported cases of almost 2m, South Africa becomes centre stage for analysts looking for a solution to the pandemic because the country has an extraordinarily low case rate. “One theory is that South Africans might have extra protection against the virus because of a variety of possible medical factors - ranging from the compulsory anti-tuberculosis BCG vaccine that almost all citizens here are given at birth, to the potential impact of anti-retroviral HIV medication, to the possible role of different enzymes in different population groups,” the BBC told its global audience. The most obvious difference between South Africa and other countries is the BCG jab, say scientists at the New York Institute for Technology. There is no confirmed evidence that BCG reduces the chances of contracting Covid-19, though there is a trial underway in Australia to assess that. Some scientists, notably from the McGill International TB Centre in Canada, caution against hoping BCG is the miracle treatment. Nevertheless, BCG may provide protection against certain illnesses, leading global health policy expert Professor Alan Whiteside says in this interview with BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg on the tell-tale scars on our arms. - Jackie Cameron