It’s too soon to say for sure, but a new study by scientists at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) could indicate a major score for SA in the fight against Covid-19.

The study, which is completed but not yet published, suggests that countries with a long-standing and successful BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccination programme — which SA has had since 1973 — are faring far better against the virus than those which don’t.

Lead researcher Gonzalo Otazu and the team said that “Covid-19 has spread to most countries in the world” and “puzzlingly, the impact of the disease is different in different countries”.

While these differences are attributed to “differences in cultural norms, mitigation efforts, and health infrastructure”, they could also “partially be explained by the different national policies regarding BCG childhood vaccination”.

The vaccination has been reported to offer broad protection to respiratory infections, and the scientists say they compared a large number of countries’ BCG vaccination policies with the morbidity (rate of infections) and mortality (death rate) for Covid-19.

They found that countries without universal policies of BCG vaccination (like Italy, the Netherlands and the US) have been more severely affected compared to countries with universal and long-standing BCG policies.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says more clinical trials are needed because it is important to know whether it is indeed the case that the BCG vaccine can reduce disease in those infected with the coronavirus.