Unpacking the Unspoken in A Deep Dive into Post-COVID Sequelae and Vaccine Impacts

In a controversial and provocative preprint, Dr. Aditi Bhargava and Dr. Sabra Inslicht, both affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, lay bare the complex and, at times, uncomfortable relationship between COVID-19, long-term post-infection symptoms (PASC), and vaccination status. Still under peer review, their work&mdash;Post acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in the population: Risk factors and vaccines&mdash;presents findings from the PROVES cohort, a sweeping online survey of 7,541 respondents from 95 countries, conducted from March 2022 to April 2024. Their hypothesis raises a number of questions. That pre-existing conditions and vaccination status meaningfully affect the severity and profile of COVID-19 sequelae, with unique implications for reproductive health and public health narratives surrounding vaccine efficacy.
Study Design and Methodology