July 18, 2024 – Your risk of developing Long COVID has dropped significantly because the pandemic began, a glimmer of hope and an indication of progress in the continued fight against the virus.
According to a new study published in New England Journal of MedicineResearchers at Washington University in St. Louis who conducted the study said the decline was as a consequence of vaccinations and changes within the virus itself.
“You can see a clear and significant difference in risk during the delta and omicron eras between vaccinated and unvaccinated people,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center on the VA St. Louis Health Care System and director of research and development services, in a opinion“So if people think COVID is no big deal and decide not to get the vaccine, they are essentially doubling their risk of getting Long COVID.”
The researchers analyzed health records collected from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022, from 441,583 veterans infected with COVID-19 and 4.7 million veterans who weren't infected.
Among unvaccinated individuals, 10.4% of those infected with the unique COVID strain, 9.5% of those infected with the Delta strain, and seven.7% of those infected with Omicron developed Long COVID.
Among vaccinated individuals, Long COVID occurred in 5.3% of those infected with the Delta variant and three.5% of those infected with Omicron.
Al-Aly found that in people infected with the Omicron strain, the likelihood of heart, brain, kidney and lung problems decreased, while the chance of metabolic and gastrointestinal problems increased.
“Each variant has its own fingerprint,” said Al-Aly. “The original virus hit the respiratory system hard. Omicron targeted metabolic and gastrointestinal problems. This is important because although the risk of long COVID disease is quantitatively lower, a person may be at higher risk of developing the disease depending on the part of the body that the COVID variant affects.”
With Long COVID, symptoms persist for months or years after infection. The most typical symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of smell, and muscle aches.
According to the CDC Household pulse survey18.4% of American adults report having suffered from Long COVID sooner or later.