Exploring the Interplay: COVID-19 Vaccination's Influence on Long-term Symptoms and Quality of Life in Post-COVID Recovery

Background: More than the newly diagnosed COVID-19, healthcare systems are increasingly dealing with the complex long-term health consequences of individuals who have not entirely recovered from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of long-term COVID and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on this prevalence and health-related quality of life during recovery. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 624 individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Demographic information, vaccination status, Long-COVID symptoms, and health-related quality of life were collected. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 6-month and 12-month intervals. Results: The prevalence of ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 manifestations was 87.3%. Cough was the most frequently reported complaint, affecting 64.3% of the participants. The prevalence of post-COVID syndrome decreased to 72.1% at 6 months and remained at 73.9% at 12 months, with fatigue (18.6%) and headaches (20.8%) being the most frequently reported symptoms, respectively. At one month, six months, and twelve months after COVID-19 recovery, the average health-related quality of life for individuals was measured to be 0.90 ± 0.13, 0.93 ± 0.11, and 0.94 ± 0.1, respectively. Long-COVID were more prevalent in vaccinated individuals (74.5%) compared to non-vaccinated (69.6%). The health-related quality of life was significantly lower in those who had received the COVID-19 vaccine compared to unvaccinated individuals (0.94 ± 0.1 vs. 0.96 ± 0.07). Conclusion: Long-term COVID symptoms decreased, and health-related quality of life improved during recovery. However, COVID-19 vaccination was associated with increased Long-term COVID prevalence and lower health-related quality of life.