A new study of the long-term COVID-19 in the United States has revealed evidence that this condition can also be seen in cases that occur in vaccinated people, and that the elderly are more at risk for the long-term effects of the disease.
In the study, published yesterday and based on data from the US Department of Warfare, it was understood that one-third of those who got the disease, despite being vaccinated, showed long-term COVID symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that up to one year after the last COVID-19 infection, 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and over had at least one potential health problem associated with COVID-19. This figure was announced as 1 in 5 young people.
Long COVID refers to any of more than two dozen symptoms that appear, recur or appear for the first time, at least one month after infection with the Corona virus. These can affect all parts of the body as well as include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog and blood clots.
‘Vaccines protect less than thought’
While COVID-19 vaccines, which prevent first-time infection and reduce the rate of serious illness, provide some protection against long-term COVID, research has revealed that this is less protection than previously thought.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medecine, looks at the health records of most white combatants, whose average age is 60. Of the 13 million combatants, 3 million were vaccinated by October last year.
Of these, 1 percent, or about 34,000, have contracted COVID-19 despite vaccination. One of the leaders of the study, Dr. Ziyad El Aly stated that the study was carried out before the highly contagious Omicron variant, which emerged at the end of last year, and noted that the rate of catching the disease in the vaccinated increased after this date.
It was stated that among those who were sick despite the vaccine and those who had long-term COVID, those who had a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine were more likely to receive the vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer. It is not known whether the people in the study received booster doses. The first booster dose was not approved in the US until the end of last September.
Despite being vaccinated, 32 percent of people in the study had prolonged COVID symptoms up to six months after their first infection. Among the combatants who were not vaccinated but caught COVID, this rate was 36 percent.
‘Vaccination reduces long-term COVID by as much as 15 percent’
Washington University and St. El Aly, a health system researcher at the Warfighting Department in St. Louis, said that vaccination reduces the odds of long-term COVID by a modest 15 percent, but halves the risk of persistent respiratory or coagulation. These symptoms include persistent shortness of breath, coughing, and the formation of blood clots in the lungs or veins in the legs, El Aly said.
Infectious disease specialist who runs a center for tall COVID patients at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Kristin Englund said that her study in the journal Nature Medicine reflects the cases they come across in the clinic. The specialist stated that among the long-term COVID patients in the clinic, there are also people who have been vaccinated and supplemented.
“Since there is no clear treatment for long-term COVID, it is important for everyone to be vaccinated and avoid COVID and prolonged COVID by taking other measures such as masks and social distancing,” Englund said.
The CDC’s report released on Tuesday used data from 2 million adults from March 2020, when the pandemic began, to last November. These include 353,000 COVID-19 patients. Patients were followed for a year for 26 health symptoms long thought to be associated with COVID.
‘Risk increases for people over 65’
Those with COVID were found to be much more likely to develop at least one of these symptoms than other adults without COVID. The risk was found to increase for those 65 years and older. Vaccine, gender and race information were not included in the data.
Shortness of breath and muscle pain were the most common problems.
Older adults had a higher risk for certain conditions, including stroke, brain fog, kidney failure and mental health problems.
The authors of the report noted that these conditions can accelerate the long-term care needs of older adults, noting that the findings are alarming.
Experts pointed out that the routine evaluation of all COVID patients is crucial in reducing the long COVID.