In the fight against coronavirus, scientists are looking to a century-old vaccine - the tuberculosis vaccine. Teams around the world are leading clinical trials to see if the vaccine can help people to fight off Covid-19, by boosting their immune system.
The vaccine, commonly known as the BCG, contains a live, weakened strain of Mycobacterium bovid - a cousin of M. tuberculosis, the microbe that causes TB.
While the vaccine is intended to raise immune responses to the TB bacterium, studies have shown that the BCG may also increase the ability of the immune system to fight off other pathogens.
This has sparked several teams to investigate whether it has any benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic. A team from UMC Utrecht will kick off the