Scientists evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination against severe COVID

Those who completed the full course of vaccination against covid-19 , but still fell ill with it, are 81% protected from the severe course of the disease, which involves hospitalization, significant lung damage, etc.; who received at least one dose of the vaccine - by 31%. This is stated in a study conducted by a group of scientists in St. Petersburg during the third wave of coronavirus, which lasted from early July to early August (RBC has a preprint of the study).

The work was attended by researchers from the European University, Medical Institute. Berezin Sergey (MIBS), Research Institute of Influenza. A.A. Smorodintsev and other scientific institutions. It became one of the first independent studies of the effectiveness of vaccination against coronavirus, including the delta strain, in real life conditions, the authors emphasize. Previously published data on how the vaccine neutralizes the delta version of the virus in clinical trials, but it was not clear what the practical effect would be.

How the study was conducted

In their work, the scientists relied on information from the so-called CT (computed tomography) sorting centers operating in St. Petersburg on the basis of MIBS. In them, patients with a confirmed PCR test for coronavirus infection are examined by a DOCTOR, they are given a CT scan, and then, based on the data obtained (saturation, degree of lung damage, etc.), a decision is made to hospitalize the patient or send him for treatment at home.

The study was carried out using the "case-control" method: the group of "cases" included patients who were referred from the triage center for hospitalization, and the control group included those referred for outpatient treatment. At the same time, the authors of the study collected information about the vaccination status of both (how many doses received, how many days passed after vaccination) - patients self-reported this information.