only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
+++ b/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
@@ -332,6 +332,11 @@ class DatabaseConnection_mysql extends DatabaseConnection {
       PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_USE_BUFFERED_QUERY => TRUE,
       // Because MySQL's prepared statements skip the query cache, because it's dumb.
       PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES => TRUE,
+      // Convert numeric values to strings when fetching. In PHP 8.1,
+      // \PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES now behaves the same way as non emulated
+      // prepares and returns integers. See https://externals.io/message/113294
+      // for further discussion.
+      \PDO::ATTR_STRINGIFY_FETCHES => TRUE,
     );
     if (defined('PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_MULTI_STATEMENTS')) {
       // An added connection option in PHP 5.5.21+ to optionally limit SQL to a