Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
Induction of Invasive Transitional Cell Bladder Carcinoma in Immune Intact Human MUC1 Transgenic Mice: A Model for Immunotherapy Development
Published on: October 30, 2013
Does intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for bladder cancer protect from COVID-19?
Anastasia MacDonald1, Lexia Bao2, Vahid Mehrnoush3
1Department of Urology, Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Thunder Bay, ON. anamacdonald@nosm.ca.
Introduction:
The study aimed to correlate the history of intravesical BCG as well as infantile BCG immunization with the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection.
Methods:
Retrospective data collection of patients with high-risk non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) from two Canadian centers. Data collection included a history of BCG instillation, infantile immunization, and the development of COVID-19 infection. Admission and/ or mortality because of COVID-19 was reported.
Results:
We could include data from 348 patients: including 188 and 160 patients from Ontario and British Columbia respectively. COVID-19 affected 15% of these patients. Intravesical BCG was used in 44% of these patients. Intravesical BCG and/or infantile BCG immunization did not correlate with the incidence of COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions:
Previous intravesical BCG and/ or a history of infantile BCG vaccination were not more/ less frequent in patients who had COVID-19 infection.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
01:28Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...