Chapter 3: How can you prevent Long Covid?

CHAPTER 3

How can you prevent Long Covid?

How can I avoid Long Covid?

ThebestwaytopreventLongCovidisnottobeinfectedwith SARS-CoV-2. Preventing Covid-19 infections includes measuressuchassocialdistancingandmask-wearing,especially incrowdedvenues.Therearesomeprophylacticdrugs,suchas Evusheld, which reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection preexposure, but these are not yet widely available. For those eligible,scheduleyourmRNAvaccinesassoonaspossible.64 Immunodeficient diseases such as diabetes or asthma increase the chances of Long Covid post-infection.65 Those with greater risks can continue to take extra precautions when attending socialeventstopreventinfectioninthefirstplace.

Do vaccines prevent Long Covid?

Vaccination may reduce the likelihood of Long Covid. Vaccines appear to protect against severe disease and death from the currentgenerationofvariants,buthowdurablethatprotection is and whether or not it will protect against future variants is uncertain.

By reducing the riskof Covid-19infection,vaccinesreduce the riskofLongCovid.Studiesalsoshowthatvaccinatedindividuals

64 Evidence grows that vaccines lower the risk of getting long COVID 65 New Research Hints at 4 Factors That May Increase Chances of Long Covid

are lesslikelytoexperience LongCovidsymptomsthat impact theirdailyfunctioning.66 67

Do antiviral drugs reduce my chance of developing Long Covid?

We do not have enough information to answer this question definitively. There is early evidence Paxlovid may reduce severity and length of Long Covid symptoms.68 Whether PaxlovidtakingduringinfectionreducesincidenceofLongCovid remainsinquestion.69

66Long Covid after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection | Nature Medicine 67Efficacy of Long Covid Vaccination 68Can drugs reduce the risk of Long Covid? What scientists know so far 69The Promising Treatment for Long Covid We're Not Even Trying