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Interviews | Prof. Madhukar Pai, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, interviewed by Varghese K George (The Hindu)
Prof. Madhukar Pai, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, interviewed by Varghese K George (The Hindu)

Prof. Madhukar Pai, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, interviewed by Varghese K George (The Hindu)

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published Published on Apr 13, 2020   modified Modified on Apr 14, 2020

-The Hindu

Until trial results are out, countries like India must focus on interventions such as largescale testing, isolation, contact-tracing, and physical distancing, says Madhukar Pai, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health

Madhukar Pai, is Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health and Director, McGill Global Health Programs and Professor at McGill University. In an email interview to The Hindu, he explains the debate on BCG vaccine’s purported effectiveness against COVID-19 and how global approaches to communicable diseases might change.

* You have advised against over optimism with regards to the link between BCG and COVID-19 immunity. What are your reasons?

As a tuberculosis (TB) researcher who was born in India, I would be thrilled if BCG worked against COVID-19. It is a cheap, readily available, safe vaccine. But we are not there yet. Currently, what we have are a few ecological studies (not peer-reviewed) which take country-level BCG and COVID-19 data, and report a correlation that countries that give BCG to children have a lower rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Based on this early signal and based on our prior knowledge that BCG does have non-specific immune-boosting properties, it is perfectly fine to conduct trials to confirm the hypothesis. Indeed, such trials are starting in the U.S., Netherlands and Australia. I welcome that.

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The Hindu, 13 April, 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/no-proof-yet-on-bcg-benefits-tb-mortality-might-go-up-warn-expert/article31327949.ece?homepage=true


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