At least single dose vaccine prior to COVID-19 infection provided 60% protection against post-discharge mortality: ICMR study

An ICMR study has found that at least one dose of vaccine prior to COVID-19 infection provided 60% protection against post-discharge mortality

At least one dose of vaccine prior to COVID-19 infection provided 60% protection against post-discharge mortality, an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study on factors related to mortality within one year after discharge in hospitalised COVID-19 patients has found.

The study has also found there’s a higher chance of mortality within one year following discharge in younger as well as older age groups, males over 40 years of age, with comorbidities, and with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease.

Overall, the study’s findings suggest that a post-discharge mortality rate of 6.5% in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 warrants a vigilant follow-up.

“Encouragingly, vaccination before the COVID-19 infection confers protection to post-discharge mortality. Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and the presence of comorbidities may have some association with late post discharge deaths; further research is warranted in this field,” the study said.

Similar trends were seen in participants in the 18-45 years age group.

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The study, however, cautions that the results relate to patients who had been hospitalised during their initial COVID-19 infection and could not be generalised for all COVID-19 patients.