Effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination on the Duration of COVID-19 Symptoms in Outpatients in Morocco

Abstract

Introduction: To identify if there is an association between Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination and the duration of symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study which included patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 that was confirmed via biological and/or radiological methods (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, TAG-rapid, and chest computed tomography) and who were treated as outpatients from August 2021 to September 2021. The duration of symptoms was defined as the interval between the onset of symptoms and their resolution. We compared the symptom duration between unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and fully vaccinated patients. The other variables were also adjusted. Results: We included 283 patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. Among these participants, 28.6% were fully vaccinated, 25.1% were partially vaccinated, and 46.3% were unvaccinated. The median duration of symptoms was 10 days, interquartile range [(IQR) (7-13)] in vaccinated patients and 13 days [IQR (9-15)] in unvaccinated patients. After adjusting for confounding factors, a short duration of symptoms was significantly associated with age <50 years [odds ratio (OR)=0.41; 95%, confidence interval (CI) (0.22-0.76); p<0.005] and the vaccination status. Patients who received one vaccine dose had an OR of 0.48 [95% CI (0.26-0.88); p<0.019]. Patients who received both vaccine doses had an OR of 0.26 [95% CI (0.12-0.50); p<0.000]. Conclusion: There was a significant association between vaccination status against SARS-CoV-2 and short duration of symptoms in outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. This finding may have significant public health implications like admitting the effective role of vaccination in preserving individual and collective well-being. In addition, it provides insights into vaccination strategies for patient care by giving indications of how long symptoms persist, enabling more effective management of isolation and quarantine measures.

Keywords

• sars-cov-2
• vaccination
• duration of symptoms
• moderate forms