Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine reduces infection rate, death risk: study

Online desk: Those who received Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines had a lower risk of Covid-19 infection and lower chances of death, according to a study by Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University researchers.

The study was conducted in Chattogram and Chandpur districts on 12,936 people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated in past two months.

The study report published on Thursday said that a total of 2,137 (16.52 per cent) vaccine receivers among 12,936 were diagnosed with SARS-Cov-2 or coronavirus.

Through contact tracing, a total of 1,095 people were included in the study by thoroughly monitoring their health information and data.

The study found that 968 Covid patients had not been vaccinated against coronavirus.

On the other hand, 83 people were found infected who received the first dose of Covishield vaccine.

Sixty-four people received both the first and second doses.

Those who took the first dose had 0.48 per cent of infection rate and those who took second dose had 0.49 per cent of infection rate.

On the other hand, the oxygen saturation of the vaccinated patients was normal (98.6%).

In addition, seven of the hospitalised patients who did not receive the vaccine needed ICU services, while those who received the vaccine did not need ICU services.

The duration of shortness of breath has been extended to a maximum of 20 days in patients who have not been vaccinated, the study said.

CVASU vice-chancellor Professor Gautam Buddha Das led the research team that included researchers Sharmin Chowdhury, Mohammad Khaled Mosharraf Hossain, Iftekhar Ahmed Rana, Trideep Das, Pranesh Dutta, Sirajul Islam and Tanvir Ahmad Nizami.