Context:

A new study led by the ‘Clinical Studies and Trials Unit’ of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that vaccination against COVID-19 before contracting the infection provided around 60 per cent protection against post-discharge death after at least one dose.

Key Findings of Study:

• According to the researchers, vaccine effectiveness reduced after 168-195 days but was still around 86 percent.
• Overall, the study findings suggest that a post-discharge mortality rate of 6.5 per cent in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 warrants a vigilant follow-up, the study said.
• The current analysis additionally showed that the participants younger than 18 years had 1.7 times higher odds of dying after discharge from the hospital.
• Post-COVID condition (PCC) was reported in 17.1 per cent of the participants and was linked with 2.7 times higher odds of post-discharge mortality. 
  • PCC is defined by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “signs, symptoms, or conditions that persist or develop at four weeks or more after the initial infection”. 
• As many as 14,419 participants were followed up at least once between four weeks and one-year post-discharge. 
  • Of the 942 deaths, 175 (18.6 percent) were in the age group of 18-45 years.
• A series of three nested case-control analyses were conducted on follow-up data collected in the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 between September 2020 and February 2023 from 31 hospitals.
  • Nested case-control analyses are studies that include diagnosed individuals in comparison to matched controls who have not developed the disease.

News Source: DTE