Covid-19 Breakthrough Infections In Vaccinated People With Vaccine Booster In 2022 Versus Covid-19 Cases In Unvaccinated People In 2020: A New Disease Whose Clinic we Should Know or Another Cause of The Old Symptoms of The Common Cold?

Abstract

Background It is not clear whether the symptoms of covid-19 have varied throughout the pandemic and what effect vaccination may have had. Objective To compare clinical-epidemiological characteristics between cases of covid-19 in 2020 without vaccination, and covid-19 breakthrough infections in vaccinated people with vaccine booster during 2022 in general medicine. Methodology Comparison of secondary data of cases of covid-19 without vaccination of previous studies in 2020, with other cases of covid-19 breakthrough infections in vaccinated people with vaccine booster in 2022, all of them carried out in the same population of patients treated in a general medicine office in Toledo, Spain. Results Cases of covid-19 breakthrough infections in vaccinated people with vaccine booster in 2022 (N= 46) vs. cases in 2020 without vaccination (N=100), differed statistically by being older, having more sociohealth workers, presenting more chronic diseases, and having more ENT symptoms and fewer digestive and psychiatric ones. Conclusions In the context of general medicine in Toledo (Spain), the cases of covid-19 in 2022 are different from those of 2020, affecting older people and showing symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. This change in symptoms that causes covid-19 to present itself as a common cold can do away with preventive precautions, so it is important to test to see what the symptoms mean.