Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Mar 28;24(1):915. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18380-6.
Studies estimate that at least 7.5% of adults are affected by long-term symptoms such as fatigue or cognitive impairment after the acute phase of COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination may reduce the risk of long COVID. Rehabilitation can have a positive impact on recovery. This study aims to present the experiences of people with long COVID with COVID-19 vaccination and rehabilitation. Such research is important because perceptions of these measures can impact healthcare utilization and health status.
48 adults with long COVID participated in this qualitative study, 25 of them in one-on-one interviews and 23 in focus groups. Participants were recruited via calls for participation on the websites and social media channels of two university hospitals and with the help of respondents' networks. The conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, the results were compared, interpreted, and discussed by scientific literature.
35 study participants reported that they had received a COVID-19 vaccination and 16 of them stated that they had utilized a rehabilitation service. These participants had varying experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and rehabilitation. Nine of them stated that they developed long COVID despite vaccination before COVID-19. Ten participants reported vaccine reactions, and two participants reported severe side effects. Two participants reported persistent deterioration of their long COVID symptoms after vaccination. This led to uncertainty about the safety, benefits, and handling of COVID-19 vaccination. However, most participants perceived the vaccine as effective regarding milder COVID-19 sequelae. Four participants felt their rehabilitation was helpful and four participants felt it was unhelpful. Two persons found the combination of inpatient rehabilitation and rehabilitation sport helpful.
Several implications can be derived from this study: (1) researchers should explore the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on long COVID symptoms; (2) vaccination campaigns should be more responsive to the perspectives of people with long COVID on vaccination; (3) care planners should build rehabilitation facilities specialized in long COVID; (4) rehabilitation providers should train their professionals regarding long COVID and develop rehabilitation programs tailored to different clinical pictures.
German register for clinical trials DRKS00026007, 09 September 2021.
研究估计，至少有 7.5%的成年人在 COVID-19 的急性期后会出现长期症状，如疲劳或认知障碍。COVID-19 疫苗接种可能会降低长新冠的风险。康复可以对恢复产生积极影响。本研究旨在介绍患有长新冠的人与 COVID-19 疫苗接种和康复的经历。此类研究很重要，因为人们对这些措施的看法可能会影响医疗保健的利用和健康状况。
48 名患有长新冠的成年人参与了这项定性研究，其中 25 人接受了一对一访谈，23 人参加了焦点小组。参与者通过在两家大学医院的网站和社交媒体渠道上发布参与邀请以及在受访者网络的帮助下招募。谈话被录音、转录，并使用定性内容分析进行分析。随后，通过科学文献比较、解释和讨论研究结果。
35 名研究参与者报告说他们已经接种了 COVID-19 疫苗，其中 16 名参与者表示他们已经使用了康复服务。这些参与者对 COVID-19 疫苗接种和康复有不同的体验。其中 9 人表示尽管在 COVID-19 之前接种了疫苗，但他们仍患有长新冠。10 名参与者报告了疫苗反应，2 名参与者报告了严重的副作用。2 名参与者报告说接种疫苗后他们的长新冠症状持续恶化。这导致他们对 COVID-19 疫苗接种的安全性、益处和处理方式产生了不确定性。然而，大多数参与者认为疫苗对轻度 COVID-19 后遗症有效。4 名参与者认为康复有帮助，4 名参与者认为康复没有帮助。2 人认为住院康复和康复运动相结合很有帮助。
从这项研究中可以得出以下几点：（1）研究人员应探索 COVID-19 疫苗接种对长新冠症状的影响；（2）疫苗接种运动应更加关注长新冠患者对疫苗接种的看法；（3）护理规划者应建立专门针对长新冠的康复设施；（4）康复提供者应培训他们的专业人员了解长新冠，并制定针对不同临床情况的康复计划。
德国临床试验注册处 DRKS00026007，2021 年 9 月 9 日。
