Coronavirus Vaccines Cut Risk of Long Covid, Study Finds
Source: BBC News
Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests. It shows that in the minority of people who get Covid despite two jabs, the odds of developing symptoms lasting longer than four weeks are cut by 50%. This is compared with people who are not vaccinated.
So far, 42.9 million people in the UK have had two doses of a Covid vaccine. Many people who get Covid recover within four weeks but some have symptoms that continue or develop for weeks and months after the initial infection - sometimes known as long Covid. It can happen after people experience even mild coronavirus symptoms.
The researchers, whose work was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, say it is clear that vaccinations are saving lives and preventing serious illness, but the impact of vaccines on developing long-lasting illness has been less certain.
Researchers found some people were more at risk of so-called breakthrough infections (getting Covid after a vaccine) than others - including frail, older adults and people living in deprived areas. This was particularly the case for people who had only had one jab... + Video.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58410354
- 'Long Covid means brushing my hair can be "emotionally traumatising"', Megan Higgins (Video at Link).
More: - Long Covid in children 'nowhere near scale feared' - Middle-aged women 'worst affected by long Covid' - 'My fatigue was like nothing I've experienced before'
Lead researcher Dr Claire Steves said people at increased risk needed to be prioritised for booster jabs.
- 'Long Covid: More than two million in England may have suffered, study suggests,' BBC, June 24, 2021,
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57584295
- Dr. Nathalie MacDermott, UK, Long Covid Sufferer, The Conversation, May 10, 2021,
https://theconversation.com/i-went-from-regular-tv-commentator-on-covid-to-long-covid-sufferer-in-just-a-few-months-158331
- Long Covid Update, DW German News, Jan. 21, 2021.
= new reply since forum marked as read
