A team from the Hôtel-Dieu has just published a survey according to which an injection of vaccine reduces the symptoms of long Covid. The number of patients in remission is doubled compared to unvaccinated, and overall, the quality of social, professional and family life is improved following 120 days.
The long Covid is so complex that it is difficult to know how many people are affected in France. Undoubtedly millions, who count on the progress of research. Géraldine Zamansky, journalist for the Magazine de la Santé on France 5, returns today to a French study devoted to people affected by a long Covid.
franceinfo: A French study has just shown that vaccination can reduce the symptoms of Covid long?
Géraldine Zamansky : Absolutely. This study was carried out thanks to 910 people affected by this long Covid. They participated via the Internet in the ComPaRe project, which means community of patients for research. Fatigue, abnormal shortness of breath, pain, loss of smell, in October 2020, they had at least one of the very many disorders that can persist following infection with Sarscov2.
Dr. Viet-Thi Tran, epidemiologist and co-investigator of ComPaRe explained to me that by the time the vaccine became available in early 2021, half the group quickly chose it. The other no. This lag made it possible to compare the effect of a vaccine injection on the long Covid, following 120 days. And the first result tells the complexity of this syndrome well: on average, vaccinated patients went from 15 to 13 symptoms. With, all the same, an improvement in their quality of social, professional and family life.
And some have even benefited from a much more dramatic change?
Indeed, a complete disappearance of the symptoms was obtained in twice as many patients, on the side of the vaccinated. But beware, Dr. Tran immediately specified, this represents only 17% of the group. And above all, in other participants, vaccination does not change anything, or worse, worsens their condition. For him, it is an illustration of the diversity of diseases, gathered under the label “Covid long”.
So Dr. Tran thinks it might be interesting to focus on recovered patients, to do blood tests, for example. This would perhaps make it possible to decipher their “form” of long Covid. And to better identify to whom to offer the vaccine.
Its effectiveness might “validate” the hypothesis of the virus remaining “hidden” in the body. It would then be eliminated by the vaccine immune reinforcement. But for patients who are more likely to be victims of disruptions, or even damage, created by the passage of the virus, other solutions are needed.
Dr. Tran’s team continued to follow these patients following this vaccine study?
The team is regarding to publish the results of almost two years of follow-up, of more than 2000 patients. And there too, small groups stand out. With at worst, the 4% who keep very persistent symptoms, and, conversely, the 5% whose problems quickly disappeared. For everyone else, the improvement is real but slow. Other discoveries are needed to help them.
>>> To read
High Authority of Health : Prolonged symptoms following adult Covid-19.
