COVID: People with prior illness more vulnerable despite vaccination, claims UK Study

A new study conducted by senior researchers at the University of Oxford, and Nottingham has found that people with co-morbidities such as hypertension, Down’s syndrome, and dementia are most vulnerable to COVID-19 breakthrough infections even when they’re fully jabbed with a two-dose regime against the novel coronavirus.

In a study published on September 18, Saturday, in the British Medical Journal, researchers analyzed the data from more than 6.9 million vaccinated adults, of whom, nearly 5.2 million were fully inoculated. Scientists found that there were certain risk indicators despite the vaccination due to comorbidity that elevated the need for this population to get the third booster shot or treatment with the monoclonal antibodies months after the second vaccine dose. 

Scientists found that the risk of contracting the COVID-19 disease after 2-dose vaccination was 13 times more in patients with Down’s syndrome, which subsequently increased the risk of hospitalization or even death. Meanwhile, those that suffered from another chronic ailment such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease were at 2-fold risk. All these adults were aged 19 to 100 years with one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccination administered between 8 December 2020 and 15 June 2021, the study published in BMJ revealed.

The possible outcome for the co-morbid population despite the vaccination was assessed from 14 days after each vaccination dose. Researchers used models to derive risk equations among the vaccinated population using a range of predictor variables. The risk factors were analyzed basis age, sex, ethnic origin, deprivation, body mass index, but mainly the range of comorbidities, and SARS-CoV-2 infection rate. 

Indian and Pakistani ethnic origin 'most at risk'

A professor of medical statistics in primary care at the University of Nottingham and senior researcher at the University of Oxford, Carol Coupland said in the study that the overall risk of COVID-19 contraction was much smaller than before vaccination. This is explained by the professor of primary care research and development and director of the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Aziz Sheikh, who says that the increased risk was due to increased exposure to COVID-19, as well as the additional underlying vulnerability, as he cautioned people with Down’s syndrome particularly to remain vigilant. He listed two ethnic groups to be more susceptible to the disease, the Indians and Pakistanis due to crowded household settings. 

"Incidence of COVID-19 mortality increased with age and deprivation, male sex, and Indian and Pakistani ethnic origin. Cause-specific hazard ratios were highest for patients with Down’s syndrome," the study published in BMJ, stresseed. 

The study also stated that the elderly population was most at risk of contracting the severe COVID-19, as well as those from deprived backgrounds, the immunosuppressed, and residents in a care home. In addition to that, scientists claim that the variant of concern, in addition to being more transmissible, seems to be more lethal. Patients who are co-morbid may require hospital attention due to more severe infections.