Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine, antimalarial, age and gender relation to COVID-19 spread and mortality

• Published in: Vaccine 2020-07, Vol.38 (35), p.5564-5568
• Main Authors: Osama El-Gendy, Ahmed, Saeed, Haitham, Ali, Ahmed M.A., Zawbaa, Hossam M., Gomaa, Dina, Harb, Hadeer S., Madney, Yasmin M., Osama, Hasnaa, Abdelrahman, Mona A., Abdelrahim, Mohamed E.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Aging; Antimalarial; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Bacillus; Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine; Bacterial infections; BCG; BCG Vaccine - immunology; Chemoprevention; Chloroquine; Chloroquine - pharmacology; Chloroquine - therapeutic use; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - mortality; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; COVID 19; COVID-19 vaccines; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Disease prevention; Disease Susceptibility - immunology; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Female; Gender; Geographic Mapping; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine; Hydroxychloroquine - pharmacology; Hydroxychloroquine - therapeutic use; Immune system; Infant; Infections; Infectious diseases; Internationality; Lungs; Malaria; Male; Measles; Metabolism; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Mortality; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pathogens; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Viral - immunology; Pneumonia, Viral - mortality; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Public health; Respiratory diseases; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sex Characteristics; Tuberculosis; Vaccines; Vector-borne diseases; Viral diseases; Viruses
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.06.083

•COVID-19 is affecting different countries all over the world with great variation in infection rate and death ratio.•Some reports suggested a relation between the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the malaria treatment to the infection prevention.•Some reports related infant's lower-susceptibility to the BCG vaccine. Some other reports a higher risk in males compared to females in such a COVI-19 pandemic.•Some other reports claimed the possible use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as prophylactic in such a pandemic.•The-present commentary is to discuss the possible relation between those-factors and SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 is affecting different countries all over the world with great variation in infection rate and death ratio. Some reports suggested a relation between the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the malaria treatment to the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some reports related infant's lower susceptibility to the COVID-19. Some other reports a higher risk in males compared to females in such COVID-19 pandemic. Also, some other reports claimed the possible use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as prophylactic in such a pandemic. The present commentary is to discuss the possible relation between those factors and SARS-CoV-2 infection.