According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, getting a vaccine after contracting a coronaviruses could cut the risk of developing long Covid.
Researchers found that the risk of long Covid could be reduced by vaccine.
Data from the U.K.'s Office of National Statistics show that people who were exposed to Covid were less likely to report symptoms weeks and months later.
According to the peer reviewed study, the odds of long Covid dropped after the first vaccine dose.
After the second dose, the odds dropped a further 9%, and this improvement lasted for at least the nine week period when the researchers followed up with patients.
The researchers found no differences in risk across various demographic groups, the type of vaccine used, time from Covid infection to getting vaccine, and other health factors, which they said bolsters the findings.
The study did not prove the vaccines were responsible for the reduced risk of long Covid, but it did suggest that vaccination could be useful in reducing the burden of the poorly understood condition.
The researchers called for more research into the relationship between vaccination and long Covid on a longer time scale, particularly the risk after infection with the omicron variant, and the effect of booster doses.
Why does Covid last so long? It is not well understood why some people experience Covid symptoms for weeks, months or even years after an illness, which can affect almost any part of the body. Scientists are looking at a number of possible explanations, including problems with the immune system and parts of the virus remaining in the body, according to a linked editorial.
Long Covid is a broad term to cover the wide array of symptoms some people report after having Covid-19. Symptoms can affect nearly any organ system in the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs and brain, and can include fatigue, muscle ache, brain fog and respiratory problems. It was a surprise for most experts in the early stages of the Pandemic and doctors are still figuring out what caused it. Vaccines can reduce the risk of developing long Covid, as well as catching Covid in the first place, but their ability to ease symptoms afterwards is less clear. There are no treatments for long Covid, and better understanding of the mechanisms involved will be helpful in signposting directions towards future treatments.
24 million dollars. That is how many Americans could be suffering from Covid. Some patients will experience long Covid after recovering from an illness. More than 80 million Covid-19 cases have been documented in the U.S., which could mean between 8 and 24 million people have suffered from the condition.
Here is the number of covid deaths in the US.
Unvaccinated people are more likely to get long covid and suffer symptoms for longer.
Here is what we know about long covid, the debilitating illness that could affect millions.
How much of our lives have been taken by the Pandemic? Nature.
How often can you be exposed to the coronaviruses? The New York Times.
Live updates on the coronaviruses.
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