Why the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Is Your Strongest Defense Against Long COVID
Imagine fatigue that never goes away, persistent shortness of breath, or brain fog that makes working and other daily tasks feel impossible. These are just a few of the more than 200 debilitating symptoms people with Long COVID experience.¹
It's challenging to pinpoint exactly how many Latinos in the U.S. have Long COVID due to a lack of understanding surrounding the condition.
Latino adults are more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to report COVID-19 symptoms lasting three months or longer, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.²
However, many Latinos face an uphill battle when seeking treatment, with patients reporting their concerns being dismissed by healthcare providers. Linda Sprague Martinez, a health equity researcher who has studied the impact of Long COVID on Black and Latino communities, told the Washington Post, patients "were going to the doctor and sometimes weren’t being taken seriously.”³
She and others warn that there’s an urgent need for culturally sensitive care and greater awareness of Long COVID as a disease. Too often receiving a Long COVID diagnosis depends on factors like whether a patient is believed by their provider, their ability to "doctor-shop" for someone who takes them seriously and their capacity to articulate their symptoms. Researchers say that in many cases, people are not being formally diagnosed, meaning they’re suffering and not getting the help they need.
Scientists and healthcare providers are only beginning to understand Long COVID. But as they search for answers, there is some hope. Studies show that the COVID-19 vaccine can significantly reduce your risk of developing Long COVID in the first place.
The Impact of Long COVID
Nearly 9 percent of Hispanic adults currently have Long COVID, higher than non-Hispanic White (7.5 percent) and Black (6.8 percent) adults and over twice the percentage of non-Hispanic Asian adults (3.7 percent), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).⁴
Long COVID can impact anyone. A recent study from the CDC found that nearly 1 in 5 people who've had COVID-19 experience Long COVID.⁵ This translates to over 65 million people worldwide, including at least 15 million working-age Americans.⁶ Most Long COVID patients are 36 to 50 years old, and most initially experienced only mild COVID cases that didn’t require hospitalization.
Crucially, your risk for Long COVID increases with each additional COVID infection. One study showed that by their third COVID case, patients have a 40 percent chance of developing long-term symptoms.⁷ Importantly, Hispanic Americans continue to test positive at disproportionately high rates.⁸
The good news: the updated COVID-19 vaccines significantly lower the chances of developing Long COVID.⁹
Preventing Severe Illness
Regular vaccination also reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death. Over 95 percent of adults hospitalized in the last year due to COVID-19 had no record of receiving the latest vaccine.¹⁰
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is especially crucial for members of our community with pre-existing conditions that increase their vulnerability to a severe COVID-19 infection.
This includes adults over 65, immunocompromised individuals and those living with certain chronic conditions like asthma, lung disease or diabetes.¹¹ The most significant risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes remains age: Adults ages 65 and older account for two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations and more than 81 percent of in-hospital deaths.¹²
Get Vaccinated
Similar to the annual flu shot, getting an updated COVID shot is important even if you’ve received one before.
It’s crucial to protect ourselves and those most vulnerable in our community, especially our elders and those with underlying health conditions.
Visit www.vaccines.gov to find a vaccination site near you.
¹https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/immune-hormonal-features-long-covid#:~:text=Long%20COVID%2C%20a%20syndrome%20that,exertional%20malaise%2C%20and%20respiratory%20problems.
²https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/long-covid-19-symptoms-reported.html
³https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/05/28/long-covid-patients-of-color-black-latino/
⁴https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220622.htm
⁵https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220622.htm
⁶https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2
⁷https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00015-eng.htm
⁸https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10147367/#:~:text=Empirical%20evidence%20now%20supports%20those,rates%20and%2016.8%25%20of%20deaths.
⁹https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10666099/
¹⁰https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/background.html#:~:text=Over%2095%25%20of%20adults%20hospitalized,by%2060%25%20in%20recent%20studies.
¹¹https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html
¹²https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html