Is Long Covid preventable by vaccination?

Arecent “systemic review and meta-analysis,” a deep dive into previous studies, was published on what the authors call “Post-Covid19 Condition,” or “PCC,” (Tsampasian, Vasiliki and co-authors, Journal of the American Medical Association, online publication March 23, 2023).

You may recall that infections with Covid-19, scientifically also called SARS-CoV-2, have been associated with a symptom complex that some refer to as “Long Covid.” Symptoms, as described in this study, include shortness of breath, fatigue, “autonomic dysfunction,” with dizziness and faintness, and other concerns.

In the recent JAMA article, researchers from medical centers in the United Kingdom undertook a metaanalysis of existing literature, seeking to derive insights from 41 previous studies, encompassing data on 860,783 individuals. They accessed the studies through MEDLINE and Embase databases, and performed a “quantitative synthesis” using computer-assisted statistical tools.

UK researchers describe a number of results that reached a level of statistical significance. Female sex is described as conferring an odd ratio of 1.56 for developing PCC, i.e. they are 56% more likely to have this problem.

delphia regional. Overall, 1,250 students across the globe have competed.

Her invention – wastefree mascara – is solid tablets of mascara in a reusable case. The mascara is activated by fluid and applied with a wand. The user never has to buy a new case, just tablet refills.

“Paige really exemplifies what we’re looking for, not only as a student entrepreneur, but as a person, as well,” said Vinit Dhruva, board member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the international association that sponsors the GSEA.

“It’s about the journey,” said Dhruva, the president of DFW Motel Supplies & Textiles. “As entrepreneurs, we all have journeys.”

For DeAngelo, 22, that journey started with $20 and a trip to CVS.

After her sustainability epiphany, she bought various ingredients, wrecked some kitchen tools, but – voila! – ended up with a prototype mascara.

“I wasn’t just thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll use this for myself,’ because I knew it was a problem,” she said.

“I wanted other people to have it. So I looked into Drexel’s resources.”

She learned the Close School of Entrepreneurship had a co-op program – prestigious and hard to get in – that would provide a $15,000 scholarship, office space, other start-up support, and several months to turn her product into a business. Forget that she was still a journalism major and had only a couple of weeks to put her pitch together. She decided to give it a shot.

She got the co-op.

Despite some nerves, DeAngelo had a secret weapon: her “Popou” – her grandfather Luigino DeAngelo and his absolute faith in her.

“My other family members were probably a little scared because they knew I didn’t have any experience,” she said. “He was the one that was like, ‘You’re gonna do this! You’re gonna see it through. Just keep that peace with you.’”

That was her grandfather’s big thing – trying to bring peace to the world, she said. A World War II veteran and an inventor himself, he helped her come up with her company’s symbol – an olive branch for peace.

“He wanted me to do it more than anyone else,” she said.

For the aspiring entrepreneur, there were hits and misses.

She teamed with a cosmetic chemist company to come up with an improved formula that was vegan, organic and cruelty-free. A good move.

At first, she intended to market her mascara as water soluble. Not so good.

DeAngelo’s siblings, along with her sorority sisters and fellow members of her Drexel dance team, had been supportive product testers. So when her sister Nicole was invited to a wedding, Paige offered to do her makeup, using her Aer Cosmetics mascara. The results were lovely, until Nicole teared up at the ceremony.

“It was a nightmare. She called me. She was like, ‘Paige, there’s paint all over me!’ I was like, ‘Oh, sorry. Thanks for that research.’”

After that, she found a fluid solution that makes the mascara waterproof –as well as customizable. A small amount of solution gives a more natural look. More creates dramatic lash effects.

Charles Sacco, associate dean of Drexel’s Close School, said Paige is part of a growing business breed: social entrepreneurs.

“It’s not always about making money,” Sacco said. “It’s about having an impact, and we’re seeing a lot more of that within this generation of kids. They see they’ve got to figure out how to make the world a better place through novel solutions to difficult problems.”

On Veterans Day 2022, her beloved Popou died. He was 95. DeAngelo’s friends gave her a little crystal angel. When she went to San Diego for the GSEA North American final in early March, she brought the angel and a photograph of her grandfather.

“Every time before I go to bed or before I compete, I talk to him,” she said. “He’s always in my head, especially when it gets hard.”

She’ll be taking his memory with her as she faces the international portion of the GSEA competition. The winner takes home $50,000.

Paige said she plans to keep working on the project after she graduates. Up until her grandfather’s last moments, she said, he was telling her “just go for it and figure it out. Everything is figure-out-able.” developing PCC sequelae.” A so-called “meta-analysis” comes with limitations, including “considerable statistical heterogeneity” emerging from various studies, according to the researchers. Pooling of data from other studies is not a research gold standard. The UK study raises additional questions.

In the case of female gender, the authors postulate that “hormones may play a role in perpetuating the hyperinflammatory status of the acute phase of Covid-19 even after recovery.” With respect to age, this may be an indicator of “multiple underlying comorbidities.” Obesity may cause heightened levels of inflammation. Smoking is a risk factor for lung disease.

With respect to the co-morbid conditions linked to PCC, each condition may need specific further study. For example, could Long Covid symptoms in persons with anxiety or depression be related to those disorders, considered separately?

Patient age was found to be associated with a higher risk of symptoms for those aged 40-69 or over 70, compared with younger people aged 18-40 (odds ratio 1.21).

Body Mass Index in the Obese range conferred an odds ratio for PCC of 1.15, also statistically significant. Current smokers suffered an odds ratio of 1.10, which means a 10% higher risk.

“Comorbidities,” meaning other health issues, also emerged as risk factors for Long Covid. Examples included anxiety, depression, asthma, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, immunosuppression or ischemic heart disease.

Individuals who were hospitalized were more prone to PCC. Persons who were vaccinated with two doses in “all included studies” were 40% less likely to develop PCC, however. The authors concluded that demographic history and co-morbidities were “significantly associated” with development of PCC. Most importantly, Covid-19 vaccination appeared to offer a “protective role against

We cannot change our health history, gender or prior smoking decisions, The real point lesson the UK study, however, is that a 40% decrease in PCC was noted in those reporting prior vaccinations. Most of us, without contraindications, can pursue Covid-19 vaccination. Although 1.1 million American deaths were attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, at least 102 million people suffered infection. Measles, preventable by the Measles-MumpsRubella (MMR) vaccine, offers historical comparison. Measles still infects 20 million people a year worldwide. Measles deaths were 2.6 million worldwide in 1980, declining to 73,000 by 2014. Then death rates subsequently edged upward. Measles outbreaks occurred in America, due to anti-vaccination beliefs, tending to leave some children unprotected. Measles may cause sensorineural hearing loss. Rubella may cause congenital deafness. Covid-19, after the infection clears, is associated with decreased sense of smell, and so-called Long Covid symptoms, in some patients. The adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still makes sense today.

Scott T. Anderson, M.D. (standerson@ucdavis. edu), is a clinical professor at the University of California, Davis Medical School. This column is informational and does not constitute medical advice.