According to the latest Israeli research, the occurrence of long COVID can be significantly reduced with the help of COVID-19 vaccines.
The study
The study has been peer reviewed and it found that all 10 of the symptoms that are most common amongst patients suffering from long COVID were reduced by nearly 50% in people who had received two shots of the vaccine.
For instance, the vaccine helped reduced shortness of breath in these patients by almost 80%.
The study obtained its results by comparing Israelis who had been given at least two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and those who had gotten a single one, or none at all.
An epidemiologist at the Bar Ilan University, Prof. Michael Edelstein led the study and he said that discovering this about the coronavirus cake was like a cherry on top.
He stated that they had known for quite a while that getting vaccinated is definitely helpful in reducing the severity of illness amongst patients of COVID-19.
But, he added that they were now discovering that the vaccines could also come in handy in terms of long COVID because they can protect against the unpleasant, and even life-altering, symptoms associated with it.
Hence, he added that this would offer people yet another reason to get vaccinated against the virus, if they still need convincing.
The details
Those who participated in the study had to complete some surveys in which they had answered a number of questions about their vaccination status and the previous symptoms they suffered during COVID-19.
They also had to share any other symptoms they were experiencing. As far as the researchers are concerned, they included researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar Ilan University.
There were also researchers from Galilee Medical Center, Ziv Medical Center and Baruch Padeh Medical Center, which are affiliate hospitals of Bar Ilan University located in northern Israel.
They did a comparison of vaccinated patients and non-vaccinated ones in terms of the symptoms they were suffering post-COVID.
The symptoms
The vaccinated patients reported 62% less fatigue, 50% less headaches, 62% lower weakness in limbs and 66% reduced persistent muscle pain. There was also an 80% reduction in shortness of breath.
According to Edelstein, the results of the study add to the scarce and limited information that is currently available about the impact of vaccination on patients suffering from long COVID.
He said that people still do not have a complete understanding of the impacts on the mental and physical wellbeing and health in the months and years after they get infected with COVID-19.
He also stated that this study was part of a series of them that he was working on because he wanted to have a clear understanding of the impact of the coronavirus vaccines.
He wants to know how they impact the different variants of the coronavirus, the quality of life of people in the long-term and also on the symptoms of long-COVID that are becoming evident.