CHENNAI: Even as more than 80 per cent of people infected by Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu have been discharged, not everyone has fully ‘recovered’. Several patients continue to suffer from brain fog, giddiness and even serious complications like lung fibrosis and vascular problems.
VN Aruna, a 32-year-old from Mandaveli in Chennai, says she was tested positive for Covid-19 on June 6 with mild symptoms and was home-quarantined.
While she had gotten back to normal by June 22, “I was in rude shock”, she says, as she had persistent pain in the limbs. “Post quarantine, even a little bit of work tired me out like anything.”
The post-discharge symptoms did not end there for Aruna as she had a brain-fog too, even after a month of discharge. “It felt like my mind was stuffed with cotton and everything was processed through a hazy cloud,’’ says Aruna.
However, she did not get any medical attention post-discharge, and she got back to normal by herself.
G Venkatesh (26) of Royapuram, who also had just mild symptoms and was admitted to KP Park COVID Care Centre, says that he had dizziness and blackouts, post-discharge.
“Every morning, it feels like I wake up with a very mild fever and it subscedes by afternoon.In the evenings, I feel a blackout and dizziness,’’ he says, adding that his symptoms have become a bothersome part of his daily life.
However, Venkatesh says he did not seek any medical help as he feels physically strong despite the symptoms.
‘Lung damage, heart problems among other complications’
Frontline doctors say that they have been recording serious symptoms of lung damage and vascular problems among Covid-19 discharged patients.
Dr B Vijayalakshmi, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Kauvery Hospital, says that she has seen many patients with lung fibrosis and vascular complications.
According to Mayo Clinic, lung fibrosis is a disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred.
“Such complications occur when the disease is extensive and healing in aberrant,’’ says Dr Vijayalakshmi.
She says that stroke, vessel blocks are other complications which patients come up with and they are life-threatening. “Patients here have come up with the complications between one and three months of
discharge,’’ adds Dr Vijayalakshmi.
While Covid-19 is largely a disease that compromises the respiratory system, researchers across the globe have found post-discharge complications to affect the brain as well.
In a clinical study published in the journal ‘Brain’, neurologists in the United Kingdom have revealed details of more than 40 Covid-19 patients suffering from brain inflammation, nerve damage and stroke.
Dr Vijayalakshmi says that vessel block and stroke are also a possible complications of Covid-19 with a high risk of mortality.
Doctors also advised patients to get checked for persistent symptoms
‘More follow up clinics to come across State’
Meanwhile, in the wake of more patients showing post-recovery symptoms, the State Health Department recently had inagurated a Covid-19 follow up clinic at the RGGGH in Chennai and Madurai.
Officials in the health department said that subsequently, government medical colleges and hospitals in each district of the State will have the clinics soon. We are working on it,’’ the official said.
The official added that the civic authorities do keep in touch with patients upto 14 days after discharge. “The patients can also reach out to us if they develop any complications,’’ said the official.
However, the discharged patients Express spoke to said they did not receive any follow up calls regarding their health either from the city corporation nor the State health department.