Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

14 Sep 2023

UP Diliman

The location and number of language areas in the brain differ among multilingual brain tumor patients

The location of the speech area in the brain may be different or located in several sites in patients who...

Read More

05 Sep 2023

UP Los Baños

Agent-based model reveals a sustainable method of forest tree harvesting

The Philippines requires 6 million cubic meters of wood annually, based on its 2006–2014 average wood consumption. However, due to...

Read More

29 Aug 2023

UP Diliman

Adjusting the rice cropping calendar can improve the production and income of rice farmers

The study assessed the impact of an adjusted cropping calendar on the welfare of rice farming households in the  Mekong...

Read More

15 Aug 2023

UP System

Study reports the first cases of yaws, a chronic and highly contagious skin and bone infection, among the Aetas of Quezon

Yaws is a chronic, highly contagious skin and bone infection caused by a bacteria, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue, usually affecting...

Read More

09 Aug 2023

UP Los Baños

Villages with a large population of women, older persons and agricultural households are most exposed to drought risk

Islands are highly vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events due to their physical size, remoteness, and limited resources....

Read More

04 Aug 2023

UP System

Continuing ignition practices have transformed Tau-Buhid Indigenous lands into “territories of fire”

The article challenges the assumption that land tenure is contingent on acquiring a land title. It argues that for Indigenous...

Read More

02 Aug 2023

UP Los Baños

Occupational therapists can be tapped to design age-friendly cities and communities

Urban planning for age-friendly environments is an important issue, and occupational therapists and occupational scientists could contribute to planning such...

Read More

31 Jul 2023

UP Manila

Injuries suffered by workers on the job such as from falls and contact with sharp objects had been fatal

Although Occupational Health and Safety has been introduced as early as 1971, the protection of workers remained insufficient globally as...

Read More

27 Jul 2023

UP Cebu

Human population growth threatens the largest and only protected key biodiversity area in Cebu Island

The continuing pressure on the natural environment exerted by human activities such as land conversion has been threatening to drive...

Read More

25 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

The seaweed Saccharina japonica, an important aquaculture crop, shows increased photosynthetic activity under blue light

Saccharina japonica kelps grow naturally in the subtidal zone up to more than 20 m, where blue light (400–500 nm) is...

Read More

21 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

Teachers are influenced by their own beliefs in how they promote scientific argumentation in class

This qualitative multiple-case study discusses the importance of investigating the alignment of four biology teachers’ beliefs and practices when teaching...

Read More

20 Jul 2023

UP Mindanao

Future solid waste management system in Davao City should prioritize plastic waste treatment

To reduce adverse environmental impact, municipal solid waste management (MSWM) practices in developed countries are adopted in developing countries without...

Read More

Research

The emergence of COVID-19 brought about a global health crisis of unprecedented proportions. As vaccination campaigns were rolled out, researchers and healthcare professionals began investigating the potential impact of vaccines on preventing not only acute COVID-19 but also long-term complications, commonly referred to as long-COVID. A systematic review, aptly titled “Impact of COVID-19 Vaccination on the Risk of Developing Long-COVID and on Existing Long-COVID Symptoms” sheds light on this critical aspect.

The review synthesizes data from numerous studies and clinical trials, providing insights into the profound benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. Findings suggest that vaccination significantly reduces the risk of developing long-COVID, offering hope to countless individuals worldwide. Moreover, the vaccine appears to ameliorate existing long-COVID symptoms in some cases, improving the quality of life for those grappling with lingering health issues. This systematic review underscores the importance of vaccination not only in curbing the acute impact of the virus but also in mitigating its long-lasting effects. It reinforces the global commitment to vaccination as a pivotal tool in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a ray of optimism as we navigate these challenging times.

This article co-authored with experts on COVID-19 is a contribution to the evolving knowledge on the illness, particularly on the vaccines that are currently being used. This first systematic review evaluating evidence to date about the impact of vaccines on long COVID supports that vaccination before SARS-CoV-2 infection is able to reduce the risk of developing long-COVID. The impact of vaccination in people with long-COVID symptomatology is controversial, with data showing changes in symptoms and others did not. Current results support that COVID-19 vaccines can be used as a preventive strategy for decreasing the risk of long-COVID, but data about its effects on people with current long-COVID needs further research. Questions about the impact on hospitalized/non-hospitalized, males/females and the impact of vaccine boosters is clearly needed.

Authors:

Kin Israel Notarte (Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Jesus Alfonso Catahay (Department of Medicine, Saint Peter’s University Hospital), Jacqueline Veronica Velasco (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Adriel Pastrana (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas)

Abbygail Therese Ver (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Flos Carmeli Pangilinan (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Princess Juneire Peligro (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Michael Casimiro (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Jonathan Jaime Guerrero (Learning Unit 3, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila),

Ma. Margarita Leticia Gellaco (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas), Giuseppe Lippi (Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona), Brandon Michael Henry (Clinical Laboratory, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre) and César Fernández-de-las-Peñas (Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

Read the full paper: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00354-6/fulltext