Vaccination halves risk of long Covid, largest study to date shows
Being vaccinated against Covid-19 halves people’s risk of developing long Covid, according to new research published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.This research was led by the University of East Anglia in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial College London, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Ipswich Hospital and University College London.
Long Covid still affects some two million people in the UK, and new research published today reveals the risk factors associated with developing the condition.
Overweight people, women, smokers and those over the age of 40 age are also more likely to suffer from long Covid according to the study - which includes more than 860,000 patients and is thought to be the largest of its kind.
The study also finds that co-morbidities such as asthma, COPD, Type 2 Diabetes, coronary heart disease, immunosuppression, anxiety and depression are also associated with increased risk of long Covid.
And patients who are hospitalised during their acute Covid-19 infection are also more likely to experience long Covid.
The team looked at data from 41 studies around the world, involving a total of 860,783 patients, to investigate the risk factors for developing long Covid.
Study co-author Hussein Elghazaly, academic foundation doctor at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and honorary clinical research fellow at Imperial College London, said: “Long Covid ranges from person to person, in terms of both symptoms and their severity. These can include breathlessness, headaches, fatigue or even mental health problems, and can be extremely debilitating. We do not yet know how long these symptoms can last for, and they may even be lifelong.
“We undertook this study to get a better understanding of the factors that might make people more or less at risk of developing long Covid. We found that being vaccinated against Covid-19 substantially reduces the risk of developing long Covid.
“I hope these findings can help inform future public health campaigns, such as encouraging people to stop smoking and promoting healthy eating. The results also highlight yet another crucial benefit of the Covid-19 vaccine for people, as our findings suggest that it substantially reduces the risk of getting symptoms of long Covid.”
Prof Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA's Norwich Medical School and honorary consultant cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: “Long Covid is a complex condition that develops during or after having covid, and it is classified as such when symptoms continue for more than 12 weeks.
“Just over two million people in the UK are thought to suffer with long Covid and it affects people in different ways. Breathlessness, a cough, heart palpitations, headaches, and severe fatigue are among the most prevalent symptoms. Other symptoms may include chest pain or tightness, brain fog, insomnia, dizziness, joint pain, depression and anxiety, tinnitus, loss of appetite, headaches, and changes to sense of smell or taste.
“We wanted to find out what factors might make people more or less susceptible to developing long Covid. We found that female sex, older age, increased BMI and smoking are associated with an increased risk of long Covid. In addition, co-morbidities such as asthma, COPD, Type 2 Diabetes, coronary heart disease, immunosuppression, anxiety and depression are also associated with increased risk.
“Furthermore, severe illness during the acute phase as reflected by the need for hospitalisation or admission to an intensive care unit, is also associated with the development of long Covid.
“Conversely, it was reassuring to see that people who had been vaccinated had significantly less risk - almost half the risk - of developing long Covid compared to unvaccinated participants.
“These findings are important because they enable us to better understand who may develop long Covid and also advocate for the benefit of vaccination.”
Some of the research team has been funded and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
‘Risk Factors Associated With Post-COVID-19 Condition - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
