This rare disease is more common after COVID-19

COVID-19 is a condition we are only just beginning to understand. The virus affects people in different ways and has long-term effects that can manifest themselves in unexpected forms such as recurring fatigue or chronic headaches. One of these rare side effects is myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.

While this condition is still rare, it has generated a great deal of interest from people, especially after there have been a number of cases related to the Pfizer vaccine. A recent study found that the side effect of myocarditis was more common in people who have experienced COVID-19 than in people who received Pfizer vaccination.

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Photo from CDC via Unsplash

The study got its numbers from the electronic health records of over 2 million people, which provided data on both COVID-19 infections and adverse vaccine reactions. The mean age of people who developed myocarditis after vaccination was 25 years, with 19 of the 21 cases occurring in men. Other rare side effects associated with the Pfizer syringe include swollen lymph nodes, appendicitis, and shingles.

The study found that myocarditis was more common in vaccinated people, but the risk was higher in people who contracted the virus. “As the New York Times explains,” For every 100,000 people infected with the coronavirus, there were 11 additional cases of the disease compared to those who did not. “

Despite these risks, scientists are adamant about the vaccine’s success rate. “Coronavirus is very dangerous and very dangerous to the human body in many ways,” study co-author Ben Reis told the Times. “If someone has been hesitant to vaccinate, fear of this very rare and usually not very serious side effect called myocarditis, this study shows that this very side effect is actually associated with a higher risk if you are not vaccinated and become infected . “

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This investigation started after a number of myocarditis cases in young men who received the Pfizer vaccine, which a review found could cause myocarditis in men aged 16 to 17 years with a 1 in 5,000 chance.

Although these cases of myocarditis should be monitored, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is still less risky than placing all of your bets on one very rare side effect.