Get a "flu vaccine" to fight the new coronavirus? Study with 30,000 people: Severe disease rate reduced by 90%
30,000 medical staff study flu vaccine to reduce COVID-19 severity by 90%
When medical experts call for the COVID-19 vaccine to be “full” for all age groups to help reduce severe illness and mortality, are there other ways to reduce the threat of the COVID-19 virus?
The authoritative international journal “Nature” reported that a study of more than 30,000 medical staff found that people who received the influenza vaccine were about 90% less likely to develop severe COVID-19 infection within a few months. According to the study, The conclusion is consistent with the literature before the vaccine came out, indicating that various vaccines can help the body fight against the new coronavirus by strengthening the immune system. The research is currently published in a medRxiv preprint.
Long before the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, there was research on the protection that influenza vaccination can provide. However, it was thought at the time that these groups had a high level of health awareness, and that the protective effect of the flu vaccine might not necessarily be true. To further study the correlation between the two, Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad, a professor of infectious diseases at Cornell University, analyzed the health records of 30,774 health care workers in the United States. The behavioral differences of this group were small to see whether there were significant differences.
The results showed that compared with health care workers who had not received influenza vaccines, those who had received seasonal influenza vaccines had a 30% lower positivity rate. The chance of severe illness from COVID-19 is reduced by 89%. Although the number of severe cases is relatively small, this study is considered to have more sufficient evidence than other past studies to reflect the true effectiveness of influenza vaccines in reducing the infection rate of the new coronavirus and the rate of severe illness.
Influenza vaccine only protects against COVID-19 for 6 months? It’s best for these people to get their full flu shot
However, there is no clear answer as to how long the “benefits” of influenza vaccination will last. Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad pointed out that health care workers infected with the new coronavirus became infected on average about six months after receiving the flu vaccine. Therefore, studies claim that the protection conferred by the flu vaccine is not long-lasting.
Mihai Netea, an infectious disease expert at the University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, pointed out that it is still unclear how the influenza vaccine protects against the new coronavirus. However, the vaccine can indeed train the immune system to recognize specific pathogens and also strengthen the body. broad antiviral capabilities. The next step will be to study whether the measles vaccine can help fight the new coronavirus in the same way as the flu vaccine.
Netea said that if studies find that vaccines against influenza and other diseases can provide the body with benefits against the COVID-19 virus, even if they are not sustained for a long time, they may still be used as a weapon to stop the pandemic and reduce the damage.
According to the US CDC, the new coronavirus is an emerging respiratory disease. During the pandemic, the severity and mortality of respiratory diseases in high-risk groups should be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, it is recommended that medical staff and people in high-risk groups for the new coronavirus (65 years old, People with chronic diseases and underlying diseases) and high-risk groups for influenza (children over 6 months and under 5 years old, children with neurological diseases, pregnant women, and those with various underlying diseases) should receive influenza vaccines.
The U.S. CDC also reminds that taking the flu vaccine will not cause common respiratory symptoms of COVID-19, such as coughing, shortness of breath, etc. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms after taking the flu vaccine, or have a high fever that does not go away within 72 hours, or If you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, coma, blue skin, lips or nail beds, etc., you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible to avoid delaying the condition.
source:
Flu vaccine could cut COVID risk
Interim Guidance for Routine and Influenza Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Further reading:
There is a new virus! COVID-19 mutates every 6 months? Beware of Delta’s comeback
