BCG in the Time of Covid

*Obligatory - wow I haven't posted in a while etc etc*

So as you all know, I am in the BCG Trial run by Dr. Denise Faustman to see if the vaccine can help Type 1 Diabetes. The trial is currently in Phase 2. I cannot publicly discuss my results or lack thereof, so don't ask. Thanks.

I had my first shot in March 2016.

In March 2020, I was to head back for my last shot. (I think it's my last? Hard to keep track at this point) I was supposed to have a follow up at the end of April.

But, as you ALSO all know, we're in the middle of an effing pandemic and traveling around the country right now is not advised. I am HUGE proponent of STAY HOME and I've been yelling at people to do so on a regular basis and I think I've annoyed everybody with it but that's OK. I mean, hopefully it's OK. No way to know, really.

I canceled my March visit. The lab understood. They are remaining open, as they are "essential" and told me they would change my April follow up to be a shot visit instead of just a blood draw. Seriously these people are great to work with.

I haven't canceled that yet, but it is very very likely that I will. I don't see this wrapping up in a few weeks.

The lab is willing to work with me to reschedule and I likely won't be dropped from the study, so that is all good.

The BCG vaccine is hitting the news, though, with possible evidence that it can offer some protection against the dreaded Covid-19

New York Times

Science Mag

As with most things concerning the Covid, everything is new and up in the air, but if this can help protect health care workers, and others that are high risk, and me, that would be amazing.

So I would like to get the shot, but I would also like to not travel on 2 airplanes, take public transportation, spend the night in a motel, go to the lab, and then repeat the process to get home.

I have a mask, and lots of soap, but still, I need transporter technology, even though my brother is convinced that it is murder. He feels strongly about Star Trek tech. (or he used to, he may not have opinions anymore, it's not something we discuss often)

Right now I'm leaning HEAVILY towards canceling/postponing. Like, 98 percent.

If I could get an antibody test that would show if I've had it, I would feel a lot better about traveling. I'm working on it, but those odds of that happening are low, if nothing changes. But, if nothing else, things are changing rapidly right now, so who knows.

And is it possible I've had it? It is. I coughed and coughed for 2+ weeks after getting home from Disney World, but I never really had a high fever (I got to 99) or muscle aches, or fatigue. Just a cough. I mean, the cough sucked, it was gnarly, but I have a pulse ox, I was never in danger, and honestly I consulted nobody about it because I would be told to just isolate at home and come in if it got worse, which I was already doing. And tests are few and far between.

Anyway, that's all. If BCG could protect against Covid-19, that would be amazing. Then you could all get shots with me, and we could compare arms. Wouldn't that be fun?