40% COVID-19 recovered patients suffering from complications: Survey

A pan-India online survey done among COVID-19 recovered patients has shown that over 40 per cent of them still have symptoms, mainly weakness and fatigue. Many patients also reported insomnia and neuropsychiatric issues, said the survey done by AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad.

The survey also found 74 per cent hospitalised patients received steroids, but only 34 per cent had required oxygen. As per the treatment guidelines, doctors are supposed to give steroids in COVID-19 patients only to those who require oxygen support. The survey assessed 53 per cent of those who received steroids and 36.41 per cent of those who did not receive steroids developed post-COVID-19 symptoms.

"We believe there is some correlation between irrational use of steroids and post-COVID complications and further research will be required to ascertain the steroids," said Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG Hospitals. If this is an indication to go by then we are looking at over one crore people in India who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still having certain symptoms, he said.  

The survey said 614 participants complained weakness or fatigue, 246 having digestive issues, body pain (295), breathlessness (201), headache (207), cough (170), palpitation (121), chest pain (132), fever on and off (73), pain in lower abdomen (97), skin rashes (115), etc. Many also reported insomnia and gynecological disorders.

While 992 participants (41 per cent) said they have persisting symptom or new symptoms after recovery from COVID, 1,399 people said they are fine. About 39 per cent of participants said they required hospitalisation due to the infection and 55 per cent of them had to stay in hospital for less than five days. Among the hospitalised, 34 per cent required oxygen support. During the peak of second wave, almost seven lakh people required oxygen beds across India.

Majority of people who responded had got affected during the second wave within the past three months, said AIG Hospitals, which launched a dedicated Post-COVID Care Clinic, with experts from Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Psychiatry, Orthopedics, among others to provide comprehensive care.

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