Effect of COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection status on mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2026, Kim+

[Chandelier]

Effect of COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection status on mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Spoiler: Authors

Kim, Sang Hyuk; Kim, Jong Seung; Kang, Min Gu; Kim, Min Ji; Han, Dong-Woo; Kim, Youlim; Min, Kyung Hoon; Kim, Sang-Heon; Sohn, Jang Won; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Yoon, Ho Joo; Moon, Ji-Yong; Lee, Hyun

Abstract​

Background​

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is suggested to be effective in improving outcomes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
However, real-world evidence on long-term mortality among individuals with COPD, accounting for both vaccination and COVID-19 infection status, remains sparse.

Methods​

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using datasets from the Korean National Health Insurance system.
Through two-step propensity score matching, 716 individuals with COPD were included in the analysis and classified into four groups according to COVID-19 vaccination and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection status: 125 COVID-19 vaccinated/uninfected, 125 vaccinated/infected, 233 unvaccinated/uninfected, and 233 unvaccinated/infected.
A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to assess the risk of mortality following COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection status.

Results​

The median follow-up period was 420 days, during which 79.6% of study participants completed follow-up.
Mortality rates were lowest in the vaccinated/uninfected individuals (281/10,000 person-years), followed by the vaccinated/infected individuals (661/10,000 person-years) and unvaccinated/uninfected individuals (2,106/10,000 person-years) and highest in unvaccinated/infected individuals (4,510/10,000 person-years).
Compared with vaccinated/uninfected individuals, unvaccinated/infected individuals had a significantly higher annual risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 13.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.91–37.13).
The annual mortality risk was also significantly higher among unvaccinated/uninfected individuals (aHR = 6.01, 95% CI = 2.15–16.81).
On the other hand, vaccinated/infected individuals (aHR = 2.32, 95% CI = 0.71–7.55) did not exhibit a significantly increased annual mortality risk compared with vaccinated/uninfected individuals.

Conclusion​

COVID-19 vaccination is associated with reduced long-term COPD-related mortality, whereas mortality risk was higher in unvaccinated/uninfected individuals than in vaccinated/infected individuals.
Vaccination-related factors may confer broader benefits on COPD outcomes beyond direct protection against COVID-19.

Web | DOI | Respiratory Research

 

[rvallee]

This makes it several studies showing unexpected benefits from vaccination that have nothing to do, as far as we know, with the pathogens the vaccine inoculates against. Benefits in cancer survival, reductions in dementia, and others I can't remember.

This feels like a new frontier that is beginning to be mapped out, can't be explained by current theories. It's really amazing.

And of course it's happening during the rapid growth of antivaccine ideology, in part spurred by the botched handling of the pandemic, with massively confusing messaging about vaccines, which featured many, way too many, MDs and public health authorities dismissing further COVID shots as unnecessary nanny state, or something like that.

Damn we are one weird mess of a species.