One in six unvaxxed feel Covid effects up to two years later

As the fifth Covid wave takes a hold around Australia, new research reveals the impact of the virus on the unvaxxed.

In a warning for Australian anti-vaxxers, researchers have found that one out of six unvaccinated people who got Covid have not returned to normal health up to two years later.

The Swiss study, based on more than 1100 unvaccinated adults, revealed 17 per cent did not return to normal health and 18 per cent reported Covid-related symptoms two years after initial infection.

The study’s subjects had an average age of 50 and a confirmed Covid infection between August 2020 and January 2021. The research also took in more than 600 adults (average age of 65) who had never had the virus.

Compared with people who did not have an infection, those with Covid-19 had excess risks six months later for both physical problems, such as altered taste or smell, fatigue after exertion, and shortness of breath, as well as mental health issues such as reduced concentration and anxiety.

A health worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against coronavirus. A Swiss study shows the vaccine works. Picture: AFP

Overall, 55 per cent of participants reported returning to their normal health status less than a month after infection, and 18 per cent reported recovery within one to three months.

But 23 per cent of participants reported they had not yet recovered after six months, 19 per cent still had symptoms at 12 months, and 17 per cent at 24 months.

People who reported symptoms at all follow-ups were more likely to be older and to have pre-existing health problems.

“Persisting health issues create significant challenges for affected individuals and pose an important burden on population health and healthcare services,” the authors wrote.

The findings come as the fifth Covid wave takes a hold around Australia, compounded by rising flu numbers.

Latest data shows Covid cases are up 28 per cent over the past month and hospitalisations are also on the rise.

Covid vaccination has also become a major issue in Australia, with 16.6 million Australians not having had a booster in more than six months.

Research shows the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine declines six months after a person’s last vaccination.

The data shows 2.7 million Aussies aged 65 and over haven’t had a Covid vaccination in six or more months. For people aged 30 to 49 that number has skyrocketed to 6.4 million; there are also 3.8 million in the 50-64 age group and 3.66 million in the 18-29 age group.

So far this year there have been almost three million Covid booster doses administered nationally.

Nationally, 421,025 Australians remain completely unvaccinated. The bulk of these are in Queensland (237,571), followed by NSW (154,272), South Australia (82,845), Victoria (72,220), Western Australia (61,252), the Northern Territory (21,183), Tasmania (20,530), and the Australian Capital Territory (10,369).

More than 70,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remained completely unvaccinated, according to the Australian Immunisation Register as at May 31.

Almost 24,000 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants are also unvaccinated, along with more than 209,000 individuals from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

Originally published as One in six unvaxxed feel Covid effects up to two years later