Study Shows Vaccination May Decrease Long COVID Risk

A recent study conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center and the University of California San Francisco found that getting vaccinated could potentially reduce the risk of long COVID. The study looked at 2,402 COVID-positive and 821 COVID-negative people with 463 falling into the pre-Delta category, 1,198 during Delta, and 741 during Omicron. Results showed that long COVID symptoms were more common in the pre-Delta period than in the Delta and Omicron periods, but these differences became less important when researchers adjusted for vaccination status. Furthermore, the study revealed that 1 in 8 affected with COVID had severe, prolonged fatigue at 3 months. Lead author Michael Gottlieb, MD, asserted that the team is continuing to follow patients beyond the 3-month mark to see what the paths of their symptoms look like. He also highlighted that the researchers need to better understand and define long COVID due to its different phenotypes and versions. With the vaccine potentially reducing the risk of long COVID and its symptoms, this study provides key insights into the effects of the virus and the importance of getting vaccinated.