BCG vaccine shows promise in reducing long COVID symptoms, BATTLE trial finds

Study design: The BATTLE randomized clinical trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 3,500 paitents who'd recovered from acute COVID-19. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine or placebo and were monitored for 12 months to assess the incidence and severity of long COVID symptoms.

Results: Participants who received the BCG vaccine had a 30% reduction in the incidence of long COVID symptoms compared with the placebo group. Additionally, those in the BCG group reported milder symptoms and a quicker return to baseline health status. After six months, BCG vaccine showed a paradoxical effect on hair loss based on sex: it reduced hair loss in men (P = .031) but caused a slight, statistically nonsignificant increase in hair loss in women.

Impact on Clinical Practice: The findings suggest that the BCG vaccine may offer protective benefits against long COVID symptoms. This could inform future strategies for managing long COVID, particularly in regions where BCG vaccination is already part of public health programs.

Source:

Jalalizadeh M, et al. (2024, November 19). J Intern Med. Therapeutic BCG vaccine protects against long COVID: The BATTLE randomized clinical trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39560319/