COVID-19 Vaccination May Alleviate long COVID Symptoms

A prospective observational cohort study published in International Journal Of Infectious Diseases by Maryam N and colleagues has shed light on the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) or long COVID. The research aimed to understand how vaccination affected the evolution of symptoms, immune responses, and viral persistence in these patients.

● Following COVID-19 vaccination, there was a notable decrease in the number of PCC symptoms. The average number of symptoms dropped from 6.56 before vaccination to 3.92 after vaccination (p<0.001).

● Vaccination also led to a reduction in the number of affected organ systems in PCC patients. Prior to vaccination, individuals experienced an average of 3.19 affected organ systems, which decreased to 1.89 after vaccination (p<0.001).

● PCC patients reported improved psychological well-being after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Scores on the WHO-5 Well-Being Index increased from an average of 42.67 before vaccination to 56.15 after vaccination (p<0.001).

● COVID-19 vaccination resulted in decreased levels of several pro-inflammatory plasma cytokines and chemokines in PCC patients. These included sCD40L, GRO-⍺, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1⍺, interleukin (IL)-12p40, G-colony stimulating factor (CSF), M-CSF, IL-1β, and stem cell factor (SCF), indicating a reduction in systemic inflammation.

● PCC patients exhibited a certain level of immune reactivity to SARS-CoV-2, which was further boosted by vaccination. This suggests that vaccination enhances the immune response in individuals with PCC.

● SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen persisted in the blood of PCC patients, particularly within non-classical monocytes. This phenomenon was observed irrespective of whether individuals had received vaccination.

These findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccination may have a positive impact on individuals experiencing PCC by reducing symptoms and systemic inflammation. However, the study also highlights the persistence of viral products in some patients, which could potentially contribute to ongoing inflammation through non-classical monocytes.

While this research provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of vaccination for those with PCC, further studies are needed to confirm these observations and better understand the underlying mechanisms.

Reference:

Nayyerabadi, M., Fourcade, L., Joshi, S. A., Chandrasekaran, P., Chakravarti, A., Massé, C., Paul, M.-L., Houle, J., Boubekeur, A. M., DuSablon, C., Boudreau, V., Bovan, D., Darbinian, E., Coleman, E. A., Vinci, S., Routy, J.-P., Hétu, P.-O., Poudrier, J., & Falcone, E. L. (2023). Vaccination after developing long COVID: impact on clinical presentation, viral persistence and immune responses. International Journal of Infectious Diseases: IJID: Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2023.09.006