Covid-19: Walking wounded

Jebun Nesa Alo, one of my colleagues, tested positive for Covid-19 on July 8. She did not take any medicine as her case was mild. Her Covid-19 test report returned negative a week later. Now, after one and a half months later, the 32-year-old still feels weak and cannot concentrate on anything. She is also experiencing some hair fall.

Journalist Jasim Uddin, 39, has also been going through various physical complications after recovering from Covid-19.

He tested negative two months ago, but he still feels weak, sometimes experiences shortness of breath and some other complications. He now has to take seven medicines daily.

Jasim said it has now become difficult for him to climb the stairs – even to the second floor.

"I cannot keep talking for a long time as I feel shortness of breath. I did not have this problem before. But after recovering from Covid-19, I have to use an inhaler twice a day," he said.

Like Alo and Jasim, most of the people who have recovered from Covid-19 are suffering from various physical complications such as fatigue, exhaustion and shortness of breath.

Physicians recommend that patients, who have suffered from Covid-19 infection, should stay under physicians' observation and consult them in case they suffer from any persistent symptoms or after-effects of the virus.

Experts have urged for rehabilitation centres to be established for those who have been going through such side-effects to ease the sufferings.

In Bangladesh, 1,79,091 people have recovered from Covid-19 so far.

Lelin Choudhury, a preventive medicine specialist, told The Business Standard that after recovering from infection, patients may show post-Covid-19 symptoms, including fatigue and lack of sleep.

These effects may last for several weeks. For many, their heart rates go up. Additionally, patients, who are in the pre-diabetic stage, have higher blood sugar, according to the physician.

"For this reason, even after recovery, they should consult their physicians regularly.

"The practice of rehabilitation treatment has not developed in our country. But for patients recovering from a novel coronavirus infection, hospitals now need to set up post-Covid centres like a flu corner, where patients will find solutions to their post-Covid-19 problems,"  Dr Lelin said.

Prof Ridwanur Rahman, medicine specialist and head of the research centre at Universal Medical College, said the exact cause of the post-Covid-19 complications is not yet known. But the complications are a reality.

He said, "Around 10 to 20 percent of the patients who have recovered from Covid-19 cannot go back to their work for several months. One to two percent of patients, who were on ventilators, will never recover. They will have to continue taking medicines for the rest of their lives."

"That is why patients need a post-Covid-19 rehabilitation centre for their physical and mental wellbeing. Many countries in Europe and even our neighbouring country India, have set up rehabilitation centres for such cases," he added.

In India, a post-Covid-19 care centre has been opened at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

According to a report of The Independent, UK, a new study has shown that patients, who were hospitalised with Covid-19, are suffering from complications three months after having been discharged from hospital.

Out of 110 patients, who had been treated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, almost three quarters – 81 of 110 patients – were still experiencing symptoms such as breathlessness, excessive fatigue and muscle aches.

Many were also suffering from poor quality of life compared to the rest of the population – struggling to carry out daily tasks such as washing, dressing or going back to work.

Most of the patients did report improvements in their initial symptoms of fever, cough and loss of sense of smell while in the majority of cases, there was no evidence of lung scarring or a reduction in lung function.