A recent observational study conducted by Canadian researchers has found that receiving COVID vaccination after experiencing long COVID is associated with a decrease in symptoms, improved well-being, and reduced inflammation. The study, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, focused on participants from Montreal.
Long COVID, also known as post-COVID condition (PCC), is a growing concern in public health. It affects approximately 10% to 30% of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 50% to 70% of hospitalized patients, with symptoms lasting for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection.
The study aimed to investigate how vaccination following a diagnosis of PCC affects patients. The researchers followed 83 participants who had previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and had been diagnosed with PCC before receiving the COVID vaccine. The participants were followed for up to 24 months.
At the beginning of the study, the most common PCC symptoms reported by the participants included fatigue, trouble with concentration, trouble with memory, headaches, and shortness of breath at rest.
After receiving the COVID vaccine, the participants reported improvements in well-being, with 77.8% experiencing improvement, 7.4% experiencing worsening, and 14.8% reporting no change in well-being. Similarly, 86% of participants reported a decrease in PCC symptoms, while 8.3% reported an increase and 5.6% reported no change in symptom severity.
Additionally, the study found that vaccination led to a significant reduction in the levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the participants’ blood samples. This suggests that the vaccine was able to mitigate inflammation and its associated complications.
The researchers concluded that high levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are linked to more severe cases of acute COVID-19 and poor prognosis. They noted that regardless of the number of vaccine doses received, there was a notable reduction in systemic inflammation after vaccination.
This study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of COVID vaccination for individuals who have experienced long COVID. However, further research is needed to understand the long-term effects and effectiveness of vaccination in this specific population.
Sources:
– International Journal of Infectious Diseases
