India’s COVID 19 recovery rates are amongst the highest in the world due to the continued efforts of the government and Healthcare warriors from the frontline. Over 81 lakh patients have officially recovered from the COVID 19 infection in our country (till 13th November 2020). However, there are growing reports of people experiencing what is clinically known as Post-COVID Syndrome.
Post-COVID Syndrome
Post-COVID Syndrome means that people continue to experience debilitating symptoms that persist (for days or months) even after testing negative for the virus. Persisting symptoms or Complications post COVID is not only restricted to patients with a severe case of infection (who required hospitalization), even patients who had recovered from a mild case of the virus could suffer from prolonged effects of the virus.
Persisting Symptoms post-COVID
- Prolonged breathing difficulty
- Extreme tiredness/weakness
- Muscle or nerve weakness; numbness
- Inability to walk and stumbling while walking
- Mood changes or depression
- Persistent diarrhoea, rapid weight loss and other Digestive issues
- Trouble thinking or concentrating, dizziness, confusion
- Short term memory loss or loss of sense
- Bruising & rashes on the skin
- Loss of appetite, taste and smell
- Disturbed sleep pattern (insomnia)
- Abnormal heart rate
Possible Complications post COVID infection
- Permanent Scarring of Lungs
- Deterioration in lung capacity or functioning
- Inflammation in body
- The weakening of nerves or muscles in the body
- Reduction in Heart Functioning
- Lasting Kidney or Liver damage (common in people with sepsis during COVID)
- Abnormally high Sugar levels (even in people without diagnosed diabetes)
- Heart Attack or Brain Stroke due to increased risk of Blood Clot formation
- Weakened Immune system leaving you susceptible to other diseases
- The blurring of vision or hearing loss
Need for a Comprehensive Post COVID Recovery Programme
Even after testing negative, it might take weeks or months for a patient to fully recover and feel 100% active & healthy again. It is also important to note that the COVID infection may silently affect the patient’s lungs, heart, kidney, nerves or any other organ – the symptoms of which may not be noticeable immediately but may have long term disabling effects.
Therefore, there is a need of a comprehensive programme that would enable complete clinical assessment of the patient by a team of specialists – who shall assess the patient’s health in its entirety, ensure that the patient gets timely diagnosis & treatment and recovers completely.
The intent of the programme is to try and bring the patient to his Pre-covid state (how much ever possible) through timely diagnosis, accurate & targeted treatment, right nutritional advice & physiotherapy which aims at strengthening lung & muscles.
COVID Care Team | Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Jaipur