CHENNAI: “Post discharge, I couldn’t walk at all and I was not able to lift small things like a cell phone too,” says J Ranjan, a 24-year-old who battled Covid-19 20 days.
While post recovery side effects such as fatigue and breathlessness have largely been observed among middle-aged adults, the lingering effects of the treatment have not spared even healthy individuals post
discharge.
Narrating his experience, Ranjan, a Chennai-based communication executive, who had 50 percent lung involvement and was in oxygen for seven days, said he had severe knee-pain and joint pain, which made it impossible for him to walk, post discharge.
“It felt like my knees were jammed and for weeks, I couldn’t stretch them also, said Ranjan, adding that he also developed forgetfulness.
“I even forgot to remember little little daily chores post recovery. I never knew Covid would put a 24-year-old youngster through this experience,” he said.
Even young individuals who ha/d a mild infection continued to have lingering side effects of Covid-19.
26-year-old Venkatesh G, who works with a regional television media in Chennai, said he started sweating more than normal during his work days. “Initially after discharge, I had constant dizziness but felt physically strong. The tiredness continues and does not allow me to be fully productive,” he pointed out.
While Ranjan was under oxygen for seven days and took steroid treatment, the latter did not undergo much treatment and was only in a Covid care centre for observation.
A survey conducted in the United States of America, published in the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, highlights that among those aged 18 to 34 with no health conditions, one in five (20 percent) were still experiencing Covid-19 symptoms after two to three weeks of discharge. The symptoms ranged from cough, fatigue and body aches.
Doctors who conducted the survey observed that Covid-19 can sometimes result in prolonged illness even in young adults and children withoutany underlying chronic medical condition. The survey has also been
published at the World Health Organization’s website.
Public health experts say that the impact of Covid-19 is related with the body and not with age and that anyone can be susceptible.
“Firstly, joint pain or swelling is an after effect for many viral illnesses and not just Covid. Secondly, we also do not know if Covid has actually brought out the underlying conditions which young individuals may have already had,” said Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Gleneagles Global Health City.
Dr Swaminathan said that irrespective of the age of the patient, it depends on one’s immune strength to fight through the recovery process.