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Review
. 2024 Aug 13;13(16):4756.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13164756.

Long COVID Syndrome: A Narrative Review on Burden of Age and Vaccination

Panaiotis Finamore  1   2 , Elena Arena  1   2 , Domenica Lupoi  1   2 , Luisa Savito  1   2 , Francesca Di Nunzio  1   2 , Michela Furbatto  1   2 , Silvano Dragonieri  3 , Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi  1   2 , Simone Scarlata  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Long COVID Syndrome: A Narrative Review on Burden of Age and Vaccination

Panaiotis Finamore et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background/Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, also known as long COVID, which presents a significant challenge due to its varied symptoms and unpredictable course, particularly in older adults. Similar to COVID-19 infections, factors such as age, pre-existing health conditions, and vaccination status may influence the occurrence and severity of long COVID. The objective is to analyze the role of aging in the context of long COVID and to investigate prevalence rates and vaccination efficacy to improve prevention strategies and treatment in this age group. Methods: Four researchers independently conducted a literature search of the PubMed database to trace studies published between July 2020 and July 2024. Results: Aging influences both the likelihood of developing long COVID and the recovery process, due to age-related physiological changes, immune system alterations, and the presence of comorbidities. Vaccination plays a key role in reducing the risk of long COVID by attenuating the inflammatory responses associated with its symptoms. Conclusions: Despite the protection vaccines offer against severe infection, hospitalization, and post-infection sequelae, vaccine hesitancy remains a major obstacle, worsening the impact of long COVID. Promising treatments for this condition include antivirals although further research is needed.

Keywords: COVID-19; aging; long COVID; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age-related changes in the function of various organ systems and their role in the pathophysiology and clinical expression of long COVID.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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