Experts pin hope on tuberculosis vaccine trial to prevent COVID-19 second wave - Sydney Morning Herald

It comes as NSW recorded seven new coronavirus cases of COVID-19 in return travellers while more than 17,000 people were tested for the disease, the second-highest daily total in the state.

Meanwhile in Victoria, health experts warn the state could be on the "tipping point" for a second wave of infections after the state recorded 52 new cases in the past three days, with 13 new cases confirmed on Friday.

The majority of those new cases were community transmission, with four linked to a cluster at the Stamford Plaza Hotel.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said while it was fortunate all seven new cases in NSW were in travellers in hotel quarantine, it was worrying to see ongoing community spread in other states.

"We remain concerned about the possibility of that transmission of COVID-19 escalating," he said.

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Despite the continuing detection of community cases in Victoria, Mr Hazzard said he backed Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s view that all state and territory border restrictions should be removed.

"I'm actually appalled the borders are still in place," he said. "I'd like to see my political colleagues around the country back the Premier of NSW, back the premier of Victoria and say artificial borders and not something that should exist in Australia."

While Australia has managed to keep the COVID-19 pandemic fairly controlled, Associate Professor Nicolas Wood there was potential for a second wave of infections which made the BCG trial important.

"If we see the second wave then the BCG vaccine may well provide some protection, and we'll be able to measure the effects," he said.

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Dubbed the BRACE Trial, participants will be either given the BCG vaccine or a placebo and they will be tracked over 12 months for any respiratory illness symptoms.

The researchers are hoping to get at least 500 healthcare workers enrolled in the trial from five major Sydney hospitals, as well as paramedics and ambulance workers.

The trial is already under way in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide and researchers aim to recruit 10,000 participants to it across the world including in South American countries where the virus is widespread.

Associate Professor Nicholas Wood, who leads the NSW Immunisation Specialist Service at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, said while the vaccine protects against tuberculosis it also has broader effects.

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"What it does is strengthen your immune system," he said.

"So some of the innate or the frontline immune cells are turned on by the BCG vaccine so that if you see a virus like the coronavirus your body's likely, we hope, better to deal with it."

The Health Services Union has provided $350,000 to support the research. Union secretary Gerard Hayes acknowledged it was an unusual move from a union but said it was about protecting the union's members and members' communities.

"If we can make a difference now that is going to make people's lives safer, make health workers live safer, it's going to make a big difference in battling this virus," he said.

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