The current study by the HEROES-RECOVER network enrolled 3,975 people from eight sites, including Salt Lake City, Miami, Temple, Portland, Duluth, Phoenix, Tucson, and other areas in Arizona. The participants provided samples for RT-PCR tests weekly and reported symptoms related to COVID-19, including fever, shortness of breath, and loss of taste and smell, if any, for 17 weeks.

The vaccination status of the participants was continuously monitored and recorded via electronic and telephone surveys and through direct upload of images of vaccination cards.

Based on the RT-PCR results and calculations related to vaccine effectiveness, the researchers found that about 204 people out of 3,975 participants tested positive for COVID-19, of which 156 were unvaccinated, and 16 were fully vaccinated.

Vaccinated individuals experienced only milder symptoms of COVID-19, and the rate of sickness was reduced by 60% among them when compared to the unvaccinated ones. Also, the presence of detectable viral particles in these individuals showed a 70% reduction from 8.9 days to 2.7 days.

The study throws light on the efficacy of authorized mRNA vaccines in reducing the viral load and duration of illness among COVID-19 affected individuals. “I hope these findings reassure the public that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and protect us from this severe disease,” added Yoon.

Source: Medindia