Vaccinated people may lower long COVID19 symptoms and post-health problems: Study

According to an Israeli research, persons who have both been vaccinated and taken Covid-19 are less likely than unvaccinated people to suffer weariness and other health concerns thereafter. According to Nature, the study found that persons who had been vaccinated were no more likely than people who had never been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 to report symptoms. Fully vaccinated individuals with Covid-19 were 54% less likely to suffer headaches, 64% less likely to report fatigue, and 68% less likely to report muscular discomfort than their unvaccinated colleagues, according to the study.

“Here is another reason to get vaccinated, if you needed one,” co-author Michael Edelstein, an epidemiologist at Bar-Ilan University in Safed, Israel was quoted as saying.

People with the debilitating condition called long Covid continue to experience symptoms — such as fatigue, shortness of breath and even trouble concentrating — weeks, months or years after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some estimate that up to 30 per cent of infected people, including many who were never hospitalised, have persistent symptoms.

Vaccination reduces long Covid’s incidence by preventing people from getting infected in the first place. In theory, the shots could also protect against the condition by minimising the length of time the virus has free rein in the body during breakthrough infections.

In the study, the team between July and November 2021, asked more than 3,000 people whether they were experiencing the most common symptoms of long Covid. All had been tested for SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and the study period. The researchers compared the prevalence of each symptom to self-reported vaccination status.

According to Edelstein, his team’s study is the most “comprehensive and precise” to date on vaccination and long Covid. He added that the results echo those of other research, including a UK-based study from last September that found that vaccination halved the risk of long Covid, the report said.