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. 2022 Oct;43(10):1439-1446.
doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.449. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Symptom monitoring after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in a large integrated healthcare system: Separating symptoms from severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection

Erica S Shenoy #  1   2   3 , Paige G Wickner #  3   4 , Lauren R West  1 , Aleena Banerji  5 , Kimberly G Blumenthal  3   5   6 , Amanda J Centi  7 , Andrew Gottlieb  8 , Dean M Hashimoto  3   4   8 , Esther Kim  7 , Marvel Kim  8 , Hang Lee  3   9 , Lynn A Simpson  10 , Adam B Landman  3   7   11
Affiliations

Symptom monitoring after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in a large integrated healthcare system: Separating symptoms from severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection

Erica S Shenoy et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the incidence of systemic overlap and typical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms in healthcare personnel (HCP) following COVID-19 vaccination and association of reported symptoms with diagnosis of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the context of public health recommendations regarding work exclusion.

Design: This prospective cohort study was conducted between December 16, 2020, and March 14, 2021, with HCP who had received at least 1 dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Setting: Large healthcare system in New England.

Interventions: HCP were prompted to complete a symptom survey for 3 days after each vaccination. Reported symptoms generated automated guidance regarding symptom management, SARS-CoV-2 testing requirements, and work restrictions. Overlap symptoms (ie, fever, fatigue, myalgias, arthralgias, or headache) were categorized as either lower or higher severity. Typical COVID-19 symptoms included sore throat, cough, nasal congestion or rhinorrhea, shortness of breath, ageusia and anosmia.

Results: Among 64,187 HCP, a postvaccination electronic survey had response rates of 83% after dose 1 and 77% after dose 2. Report of ≥3 lower-severity overlap symptoms, ≥1 higher-severity overlap symptoms, or at least 1 typical COVID-19 symptom after dose 1 was associated with increased likelihood of testing positive. HCP with prior COVID-19 infection were significantly more likely to report severe overlap symptoms after dose 1.

Conclusions: Reported overlap symptoms were common; however, only report of ≥3 low-severity overlap symptoms, at least 1 higher-severity overlap symptom, or any typical COVID-19 symptom were associated with infection. Work-related restrictions for overlap symptoms should be reconsidered.

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References

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