A recent observational study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine has revealed that despite mass vaccination efforts and the availability of antiviral treatments, vaccinated individuals are still experiencing lingering symptoms of COVID-19. The study focused on 390 patients in Thailand who contracted COVID-19 during the dominant omicron variant's fifth wave.
Out of the 390 patients, a staggering 97 percent had been vaccinated, and 98 percent had undergone antiviral treatment. Shockingly, 78 percent of the patients developed long COVID syndrome, which includes symptoms such as fatigue, cough, depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality. The study also found that patients under the age of 60 with a cough as an initial symptom were more likely to develop long COVID.
Despite the extensive distribution of vaccines and antiviral therapies, the prevalence of long COVID remains high, according to the authors of the paper. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of current preventive measures and highlights the need for further research and solutions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) broadly defines long COVID as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue to develop after acute COVID-19 infection and can last for weeks, months, or even years. It encompasses various conditions such as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, long-haul COVID, and post-acute COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that while most people with COVID-19 recover and return to normal health, some individuals experience persistent symptoms for weeks or months after recovering from the acute illness. This emphasizes the need for a better understanding of long COVID and effective treatment options.
In a separate study conducted by the CDC, it was found that more than 8 percent of participants in seven U.S. states reported experiencing long COVID symptoms. However, the agency did not disclose whether these individuals were vaccinated. This lack of information raises questions about the potential link between vaccination and long COVID.
Some research suggests that long COVID may be caused by an immune overreaction to the spike protein used by COVID-19 vaccines to induce antibodies. Vaccination may lead to the generation of a second round of antibodies that target the spike protein, triggering long COVID symptoms in some individuals.
Further studies have found a correlation between the presence of spike protein and viral RNA and the development of long COVID. In patients hospitalized for COVID-19, those with long COVID were more likely to have higher levels of spike protein and viral RNA. Additionally, a study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that the risk of long COVID was lower in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of vaccination status.
