The Severity Difference in COVID-19 Symptoms Between Vaccinated and Non-vaccinated People in al Basrah Province-Iraq

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic has cross the continents creating millions of infected people and hundreds
of thousands of dead, subsequently, a race against time to produce an effective vaccine was the humanity goal and
hope. Many vaccines were developed with different production strategies, and with different protection margins,
and despite the reported high efficacy of vaccines, a small percentage of people who received the food and drug
administration (FDA) recommended vaccine doses still acquiring symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2
infection.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to compare the severity of COVID 19 symptoms in vaccinated and
unvaccinated persons.
Methodology: Data of a total of 930 volunteers were collected and divided in to two main groups of Covid-19
infected people:1- vaccinated and 2-non-vaccinated patients each group were subdivided in to two other subgroups:
a-healthy patients and b-patients with chronic diseases, performing the research in Al-Basra province. A 17-item
questionnaire was established and was covered by a massage explain the research purpose and background.
volunteers rate the severity of their symptoms in four degrees scale: intense, intermediate, mild and none for each
there was a correspondent number helped to make the statistical analysis from zero to three.
Results: A total of 930 people took part in the survey. In 168 hours, from 6th of October to 22nd of October, 2021,
we obtained 950 responses to the questionnaire. Overall, mean age of the responders was 32.8 years (SD ± 4.026),
The total sample for validation study was 930 people receiving the questionnaire, (417 registered males and 533
registered females). Only 930 agreed to participate in this study (total response 97.8%), (71.8%) of the participants
had a mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the acute stage.
Conclusion: This study also shows that a large percentage of COVID-19 patients in Al Basrah province do not
become infected after receiving the vaccine (74%), and that the symptoms of COVID vaccinated people are less
severe than those of unvaccinated people.