Top-10 organ dysfunctions to watch out for after recovery from coronavirus
Dubai: Francis Naratefeliciano represents a classic case of what possibly lies in store for COVID-19 patients under a prolonged process of recovery.
Naratefeliciano, 46, an executive in a multinational company, was recently discharged from the Canadian Hospital after 116 days, 72 of which were in intensive care. He spent 60 days under induced coma on a mechanical ventilator.
However, his real ordeal has just begun.
Long-term organ damage
Dr Atul Aundhekar, CEO of Avivo Group, which has several clinics and hospitals under its wings and had COVID-19 patients reporting at those places, explained: “One has to look at the short-term, intermediate and long-term damage that a COVID-19 patient will face. As per statistics from around the globe, nearly 50-60 per cent of COVID-19 patients develop symptoms that can range from mild to moderate to severe. Nearly 40 per cent patients remain asymptomatic. Even as studies are underway in most countries, it is clear that the virus can impact any organ in the long term. Recovered patients are just starting to discover how fragile their health has become after COVID-19. Studies show that from brain fogging and memory lapses to eye infections, chronic fatigue, heart palpitations, fibrosis in the lungs to poor muscle tone, kidney damage and breathlessness, for the long haul, patients have to combat several conditions after recovery.”
Dr Aundhekar added: “Since COVID-19 impacts the lungs the most, the tidal volume (this is the amount of air that moves in an out of the lungs with each respiratory cycle) is drastically impacted. In a healthy young person, the tidal volume is 500ml per inspiration. The inflammation in the chest, even in mild-to-moderate infections, can cause permanent fibrosis and drastically reduce the tidal volume.”
Earlier, it was understood by the medical community that post COVID-19, a person could bounce back to good health in a few weeks. However, a research group at King’s College London has developed a COVID-19 tracker app for people to record their symptoms daily. An estimated 200,000 have been reporting symptoms for six weeks or even longer, ever since the tracker was launched.
In Italy, in a trial conducted on one group of recovered patients, it was found that nearly 87 per cent of them were struggling with various health issues even two months after discharge. Data from the COVID-19 Symptom Study, which uses an app that is being used by millions of people in the United States, United Kingdom and Sweden, suggest 10 to 15 per cent of people — including some ‘mild’ cases — don’t recover quickly. The problem is complicated for those above the age of 60 and with co-morbidities.
So while the negative COVID-19 test is a harbinger of happiness, the battle for survival begins just then.
