Six-month sequelae of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection: A retrospective cohort study of 10,024 breakthrough infections, 2022, Taquet et al

Six-month sequelae of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection: A retrospective cohort study of 10,024 breakthrough infections

Maxime Taquet, Quentin Dercon, Paul J.Harrison

Highlights

• Prior COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower risk of many but not all COVID-19 sequelae.
• The risks of ICU admission, thromboembolism, and psychotic disorders (among others) were lower.
• Risks of anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, renal disease and long COVID features did not differ.
• Receiving two vaccine doses was associated with lower risks for most outcomes.
• Age had a significant impact on reduction in risk of COVID-19 outcomes with vaccination.

Abstract [line breaks added]

Vaccination has proven effective against infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as death and hospitalisation following COVID-19 illness. However, little is known about the effect of vaccination on other acute and post-acute outcomes of COVID-19.

Data were obtained from the TriNetX electronic health records network (over 81 million patients mostly in the USA). Using a retrospective cohort study and time-to-event analysis, we compared the incidences of COVID-19 outcomes between individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine (approved for use in the USA) at least 2 weeks before SARS-CoV-2 infection and propensity score-matched individuals unvaccinated for COVID-19 but who had received an influenza vaccine.

Outcomes were ICD-10 codes representing documented COVID-19 sequelae in the 6 months after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (recorded between January 1 and August 31, 2021, i.e. before the emergence of the Omicron variant). Associations with the number of vaccine doses (1 vs. 2) and age (<60 vs. ≥ 60 years-old) were assessed.

Among 10,024 vaccinated individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 9479 were matched to unvaccinated controls.

Receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose was associated with a significantly lower risk of respiratory failure, ICU admission, intubation/ventilation, hypoxaemia, oxygen requirement, hypercoagulopathy/venous thromboembolism, seizures, psychotic disorder, and hair loss (each as composite endpoints with death to account for competing risks; HR 0.70–0.83, Bonferroni-corrected p < 0.05), but not other outcomes, including long-COVID features, renal disease, mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Receiving 2 vaccine doses was associated with lower risks for most outcomes.

Associations between prior vaccination and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection were marked in those <60 years-old, whereas no robust associations were observed in those ≥60 years-old.

In summary, COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower risk of several, but not all, COVID-19 sequelae in those with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The findings may inform service planning, contribute to forecasting public health impacts of vaccination programmes, and highlight the need to identify additional interventions for COVID-19 sequelae.

Link = https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159122001118

 

This is, unfortunately, another study that defines Long Covid in a way that is essentially meaningless. They define it as having one or more of a list of very common symptoms (headache, fatigue, abdominal issues, pain) recorded in the patient's chart at any point in the six months after infection. They don't even check if these are new symptoms!

By the end of the six months, about 65% of patients have a "Long Covid feature". Then they make broad claims about vaccines not reducing "Long Covid features". Well, of course vaccines don't do much for all these general symptoms, which probably mostly aren't connected to Covid at all!