Daily Dose: COVID-19 Vaccination Decreases Symptoms of Long COVID

Patient Care brings primary care clinicians a lot of medical news every day—it’s easy to miss an important study. The Daily Dose provides a concise summary of one of the website's leading stories you may not have seen.

On August 31, 2023, we reported on a study published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine that examined whether COVID-19 vaccination can alter the clinical presentation of post-COVID conditions (PCC).

The study

Researchers analzyed self-reported data provided by patients requesting care for PCC at the Mayo Clinic to assess for an association between vaccination status prior to COVID infection and symptoms of PCC.

The study population included 477 patients who sought treatment for PCC at the Mayo Clinic between May 27, 2021, and July 26, 2022. A total of 245 (51.4%) of participants were vaccinated before COVID-19 infection.

The findings

• Vaccinated participants with PCC were half as likely to report experiencing abdominal pain compared with unvaccinated subjects.

• Vaccinated participants were less likely to report other symptoms of PCC including anosmia, parosmia, chest pain/tightness, dizziness, numbness/tingling, dyspnea, spells/tremors, and weakness.

• When investigators analyzed hospitalized patients with PCC, vaccinated participants reported less chest pain, cough, dizziness, and dyspnea.

Authors' commentary

"We conclude that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 may reduce the symptoms of PCC, leading to improved morbidity and function. Further studies on the impact of vaccination on PCC and recovery are needed."

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