New Tool Helps Identify Those at High Risk Post COVID-19 Vaccination

The new findings on the vaccinated people who are at greatest risk from severe COVID-19 leading to hospitalization or death from 14 days post the second dose vaccination are reported by researchers from the University of Oxford.

Researchers used national linked datasets from general practice, national immunization, SARS-CoV-2 testing, and death registry to analyze a sample of over 6.9m vaccinated adults, of which 5.2m had both vaccines doses.

‘Vaccinated groups at the highest risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death are identified using the new QCovid tool.’

This sample included 2,031 COVID-19 deaths and 1,929 COVID-19 related hospital admissions, of which 81 deaths and 71 admissions occurred 14 or more days after the second vaccine dose.

Based on this, researchers have developed cumulative risk scores to calculate people's risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 following one, or two vaccination doses.

These scores take into account factors including age, sex, ethnic group, the background rate of COVID-19 infections, immune status, and other medical conditions.

The report showed that few COVID-19 related hospitalizations or deaths were seen in the group who had received the second dose of any vaccine. This report is published in the British Medical Journal.

Furthermore, this study did not distinguish between the type of vaccination offered and was limited by exposure factor that is not recorded in general practice or hospital records.

Based on this study finding new QCovid tool was developed with the help of experts from across the UK to identify those at high risk who may benefit from interventions such as vaccine booster doses or new treatments such as monoclonal antibodies, which can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 progression to serious outcomes.

Researchers also hope that these data can be used in a variety of health and care settings to inform those more likely to be at risk and to prioritize those identified for further trials.

Source: Medindia