In a newly published study, physician-scientists at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have shown that the flu vaccine can provide important protection against COVID-19.
The study, titled "Examining the Potential Benefits of Influenza Vaccines Against SARS-CoV-2: Analysis of 74,754 Patients," was published in the scientific journal PLoS One on August 3. Here is the largest study and analyzed de-identified patient records from around the world, which strongly suggests that annual flu vaccination reduces the risk of stroke, sepsis and blood clots. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in COVID-19 patients. Flu-vaccinated COVID-19 patients also had significantly fewer visits to the emergency department and intensive care unit.
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NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
“Only a small portion of the world is fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” said author Devinder Singh, MD, chief of plastic surgery, and clinical professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. to date, and with all the devastation that has been caused by the pandemic, the global community still needs to find solutions to reduce morbidity and mortality.”
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“Having access to real-time data on millions of patients is a research tool,” added Dr. Singh, who conducted the research with medical student Susan Taghioff and plastic surgeon Benjamin Slavin. Extremely powerful rescue". "Along with asking important questions, my team was able to observe an association between the flu vaccine and reduced morbidity in COVID-19 patients".
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SHARING THE RESULTS WITH THE SCIENTISTS AND THE PUBLIC
The researchers previously presented their preliminary data results at the European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) and received international interest. Now that the full study has been published, the authors are excited to share their detailed findings for the first time with both the public and the scientific community.
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The study was conducted using patient records from several countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Israel and Singapore. The research team screened de-identified electronic health records on the TriNetX research database for more than 70 million patients to identify two groups of 37,377 patients. The two groups of patients were then matched on factors that may influence the risk of severe susceptibility to COVID-19 and were not limited to age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, and health problems such as diabetes, obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Group one received the flu vaccine two weeks and six months before being diagnosed with COVID-19. The second group also had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis but did not receive the flu vaccine.
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Incidence of 15 adverse outcomes (sepsis; stroke; deep vein thrombosis - DVT; pulmonary embolism; acute respiratory failure; acute respiratory distress syndrome; arthralgia or arthralgia; renal failure ; loss of appetite; heart attack; pneumonia; emergency room visits; hospitalizations; ICU admission; and deaths) within 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after testing positive for COVID-19 were then compared between two groups.
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THE RESULT
The analysis found that people who had not received a flu shot were significantly more likely to end up in the ICU (up to 20%). In addition, the likelihood of going to the emergency room is up to 58%, having sepsis is 45%, having a stroke is 58% and DVT is more than 40%. The risk of death is not reduced.
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The investigations calculated and found that an average of 176 patients who received the flu vaccine would prevent one emergency department (ED) visit within 120 days of testing positive for COVID-19. 286 patients received the flu vaccine to prevent one case of sepsis, (known to be the most expensive condition to treat in the US healthcare system). Ultimately, for every 440 patients who updated their flu vaccination, one ICU admission was prevented.
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Although it is unknown exactly how influenza vaccines provide protection against COVID-19, most theories speculate that influenza vaccines may enhance the innate immune system ( The general defense system we are born with does not protect against any specific disease).
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THE PROPOSAL
The results suggest the flu vaccine may protect against some of the severe effects of COVID-19, the study authors said. However, they strongly recommend that people still get the COVID-19 vaccine as well as the annual flu vaccine.
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They added that more research, in the form of trials, is needed to demonstrate and better understand the possible association. But in the future, flu vaccines could be used to help boost protection in countries lacking COVID-19 vaccines or even provide aid in the ongoing struggle against mutant cases. in people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Translator: Ngoc Anh – Phacogen Institute of Technology;
(Master of Experimental Biology. University of Natural Sciences - Hanoi National University)
Referral:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210804123547.htm
