BHUBANESWAR: A Lupus patient afflicted with Covid-19 fully recovered after undergoing treatment for 12 days at SUM COVID Hospital. The 40-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at another hospital, was transferred to SUM COVID Hospital with multiple health issues including breathlessness, fast heartbeat, high respiratory rate, low blood pressure and high temperature.
“Initially we diagnosed her with COVID pneumonia and she slowly responded to treatment, but subsequently she was found to be suffering from a serious underlying disease- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), or Lupus,” said clinical head of the hospital Dr Samir Sahu said. The patient had been suffering from Lupus for around three years and visited several hospitals but the disease went undiagnosed, Dr Sahu said and termed it as a challenging job to handle the case.
The patient had hypothyroid issue and had been suffering from fever for the last three months. Lupus is a long-term autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal and healthy tissue.
“Since both Covid-19 and Lupus had similar lab parameters, it was difficult to ascertain her condition. We had to balance the two treatments and it was almost like a walk on the razor edge. The patient completely recovered after 12 days of sustained treatment,” Chief Nodal Officer of SUM COVID Hospital Dr Rajesh Lenka said.