Most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 ‒ the virus that causes COVID-19 ‒ make a full recovery. However, some go on to develop a post-COVID condition (PCC), sometimes referred to as ‘long COVID’.
Long COVID can affect anyone exposed to the virus, regardless of their age. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction. According to the WHO, more than 200 symptoms have been reported that can affect everyday functioning.
Due to this range of symptoms, and the variety of their severity, it can be difficult to calculate the proportion of people impacted. Some studies suggest that around 10-20% of people infected by SARS-CoV-2 develop symptoms associated with long COVID.
In the European region, it has been estimated that 17 million people experienced this condition in the first two years of the pandemic (2020-2021). For some, long COVID continues to have a profoundly negative impact on their lives.
Vaccines help
A new literature review by the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control (ECDC) examined existing evidence around long COVID, aiming to answer two questions (1) does vaccination affect the risk of developing the condition and (2) do vaccines influence the duration of post-COVID symptoms.
Researchers found seven high-quality studies in adults, of which six reported a statistically significant reduction in the risk of long-COVID for vaccinated adults compared to those who were not vaccinated.
However, there is still limited evidence on whether vaccination reduces the duration of long-COVID symptoms, or the risk of developing the condition in children, adolescents, and immunocompromised individuals.
‘An important takeaway from this review is that vaccination not only protects against severe outcomes of acute illness during a pandemic but may also help reduce the risk of significant long-term effects,’ said Edoardo Colzani, ECDC Head of Respiratory Viruses and Legionella.