A study finds out the health of patients in lousy shape despite testing negative after recovery from coronavirus. It reveals lasting COVID damage after recovery.
Evidence of Covid-19 Having Lasting Effects After Recovery
Research in Italy and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) last week revealed that the majority of recovered patients complained of fatigue and shortness of breath. Moreover, around 14% of the studied patients tested positive again. The research included 179 patients that met WHO criteria for discontinuation of quarantine.
The researchers assessed the patients for two months after the first COVID symptom appeared. While only 18 (12.6%) reported utterly free from any symptoms, 32% had 1 or 2 signs, and 55% had three or more. Also, 53.1% complained of fatigue, and 43.4% had dyspnea. Overall, 87.4% of recovered patients complained of at least one symptom, particularly fatigue. However, the researchers noted the limitation of the study, including non-availability of pre-COVID symptoms data and lack of control group for comparison.
Long-Term Effects of COVID
While the majority of COVID recovered patients affected mildly recovered well, the disease in severely ill left residual symptoms like chronic disability. Dr K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, said that there is a need for teaching follow-up care in primary health care. Effective rehabilitation services are a must to promote physical and mental health in COVID -19 survivors.
Coronavirus is a Systemic Disease
Dr Randeep Guleria, director of AIIMS and head of India’s clinical research group for Covid-19, claims that the coronavirus is a systemic disease. Further, adds that the repercussions of the coronavirus are not limited to the lungs. COVID damage can advance to the kidney and brain as well. Further, he said that the COVID-19 recovered patients from the virus required oxygen at home. In some cases, there are severe neurological problems and clotting issues. Not only this, but people complain of prolonged weakness due to which they are unable to return to work. Though the infection starts with lungs, its effect can reach to the entire body.
In all, seven month time is too short to deduce what COVID survivors could face in a year. For now, coronavirus is multi-organ affecting disease symptoms of which last even after COVID recovery.