CHENNAI: Doctors in Chennai are reporting severe to very severe cases of post-COVID complications including vascular and neurological issues that may lead to deaths as well, if not treated on time.
Dr E Theranirajan, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, which has seen the majority of COVID-19 patients in the state, says vascular, neurological and renal complications are being reported in patients. “They come with serious complications. More than the COVID period, we are seeing more patients during the post-COVID period now,” he says.
He says patients have gangrene formation, their intestines are affected and they have neurological complications that may lead to strokes too. “Complications are seen in people with comorbidities and they only come once they get the problem,” he says, adding that about six to ten people come daily with complications.
Dr Anand Kumar, Nodal Officer of State Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar, says neurological and vascular complications have been reported at the hospital’s post-COVID-19 care. “People in their 30s are also coming with those severe complications. In COVID-19 patients, I have observed fatty liver during the CT scan,” he says.
Dr Anand Kumar says that there is an increasing trend of patients coming with severe complications at the hospital overall. “More studies need to be done on the complications in COVID-19 patients,” he adds.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr Subramananian Swaminathan of Gleneagles Global Health City says the pattern of neurological and visual complications was observed in recovered patients in the hospital. “We are also starting to see multi-system inflammation in children. This is more commonly seen in children than adults,” he added.
Other than this, a lot of patients report heart palpitations and there are other long-term psychological effects being reported as well. “Use of high doses of steroids changes the way the intestine works and when that happens, the liver is involved as it needs to filter the blood. Chances of multiple bacterial infections in the intestines and liver are possible,” he added.
Dr Elan Kumaran, Head, Liver Diseases and Transplant Centre, Kauvery Hospital, says 20 to 30 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the hospital were severe. “Apart from just lung diseases and ENT complications, we have seen patients having liver inflammation during their treatment,” he says.
Besides, about 14 to 15 patients had infections in the kidney also. “Lung complications may cause severe lung failure and pulmonary hypertension and it will need a lung transplant. Generally, people with comorbid conditions like diabetes and smokers are the ones coming with post-COVID complications,” he added.