Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Silva, I
Publication Date: 2024
Other Authors: Nhamússua, L, Ca, E, Schaltz-Buchholzer, F, Nhama, A, Cumbe, M, Delgado, A P, Lima Mendonça, M L, Fontoura, P, Sidat, M, Ferrinho, P, Araújo, I I, Aide, P, Benn, C, Fronteira, I, Nielsen, S
Format: Article
Language: eng
Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/176482
Summary: © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
id RCAP_fa50310d6e84949f0f76dd69cf334a4b
oai_identifier_str oai:run.unl.pt:10362/176482
network_acronym_str RCAP
network_name_str Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
repository_id_str https://opendoar.ac.uk/repository/7160
spelling Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan AfricaSDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.BACKGROUND: We tested whether providing BCG vaccine to healthcare workers (HCWs) could reduce non-planned absenteeism and thereby reduce the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in Africa. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, single-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial in Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique between December 2020 and June 2022. Participants were randomized 1:1 to BCG vaccine or placebo (saline) and followed by biweekly telephone calls for 6 mo. The incidence of unplanned absenteeism due to illness was analyzed using Bayesian negative binomial regression yielding relative RRs. Secondary outcomes included infectious disease episodes, COVID-19 infection and all-cause hospitalizations. RESULTS: We enrolled 668 HCWs (Guinea-Bissau, n=503; Mozambique, n=165). The RR for absenteeism of BCG vs placebo was 1.29 (0.81 to 1.94) with comparable effects by country. No protection against infectious disease episodes (HR=1.18 [0.97 to 1.45]) or COVID-19 infection (HR=1.19 [0.80 to 1.75]) was observed. Two trial deaths (1 BCG, 1 control) were registered and nine admissions (3 BCG, 6 control), the all-cause admission HR being 0.51 (0.13 to 2.03). CONCLUSIONS: With 64% of the planned sample size and unplanned absenteeism rates lower than expected, BCG did not reduce self-reported absenteeism due to illness. Rather, BCG tended to increase the risk of self-reported absenteeism, infectious disease episodes and COVID-19 infections. SHORT SUMMARY: This was a randomized control trial assessing non-specific effects of BCG vaccination in healthcare workers. There was no beneficial effect on self-reported absenteeism due to illness within 6 mo of follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a trend towards fewer all-cause hospital admissions.Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM)Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública (CISP/PHRC)Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) - Pólo ENSPEscola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP)RUNSilva, INhamússua, LCa, ESchaltz-Buchholzer, FNhama, ACumbe, MDelgado, A PLima Mendonça, M LFontoura, PSidat, MFerrinho, PAraújo, I IAide, PBenn, CFronteira, INielsen, S2024-12-18T17:32:01Z2024-11-202024-11-20T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10362/176482eng0035-9203PURE: 104319654https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trae108info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)instname:FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologiainstacron:RCAAP2024-12-23T01:38:19Zoai:run.unl.pt:10362/176482Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireinfo@rcaap.ptopendoar:https://opendoar.ac.uk/repository/71602025-05-28T19:19:48.261084Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) - FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologiafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
title Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
spellingShingle Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
Silva, I
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
title_short Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
title_full Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
title_fullStr Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
title_full_unstemmed Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
title_sort Randomized trial of BCG in healthcare workers to reduce absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa
author Silva, I
author_facet Silva, I
Nhamússua, L
Ca, E
Schaltz-Buchholzer, F
Nhama, A
Cumbe, M
Delgado, A P
Lima Mendonça, M L
Fontoura, P
Sidat, M
Ferrinho, P
Araújo, I I
Aide, P
Benn, C
Fronteira, I
Nielsen, S
author_role author
author2 Nhamússua, L
Ca, E
Schaltz-Buchholzer, F
Nhama, A
Cumbe, M
Delgado, A P
Lima Mendonça, M L
Fontoura, P
Sidat, M
Ferrinho, P
Araújo, I I
Aide, P
Benn, C
Fronteira, I
Nielsen, S
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM)
Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)
Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública (CISP/PHRC)
Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) - Pólo ENSP
Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP)
RUN
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Silva, I
Nhamússua, L
Ca, E
Schaltz-Buchholzer, F
Nhama, A
Cumbe, M
Delgado, A P
Lima Mendonça, M L
Fontoura, P
Sidat, M
Ferrinho, P
Araújo, I I
Aide, P
Benn, C
Fronteira, I
Nielsen, S
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
topic SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
description © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
publishDate 2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024-12-18T17:32:01Z
2024-11-20
2024-11-20T00:00:00Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10362/176482
url http://hdl.handle.net/10362/176482
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 0035-9203
PURE: 104319654
https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trae108
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
instname:FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
collection Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) - FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
repository.mail.fl_str_mv info@rcaap.pt
_version_ 1833598022689226752

Similar Items