No easy route to recovery for patients: Fatigue even a month after discharge

Even as the city breached the one lakh Covid-19 cases mark on Saturday, its recovery rate is 70%, with over 67,000 patients recovering at home or recovered and back

Even as the city breached the one lakh Covid-19 cases mark on Saturday, its recovery rate is 70%, with over 67,000 patients recovering at home or recovered and back to their regular routine. For most, however, the side effects, ranging from physical to financial, continue.

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RETURNING WITH TALES

Several patients HT spoke to complained of continued weakness, body fatigue and heavy breathing. Others reported drastic or moderate weight loss. Lata Varghese, 69, a Vile Parle resident, who was discharged from the hospital on July 4, a week after getting admitted, said she continued to feel weak for 10 days after discharge. Varghese, a diabetic, was diagnosed with Covid-19 on June 28. “I was given medication while I stayed in the hospital and was also given vitamin tablets later, but I experienced weakness during the treatment and post discharge. However, with time, I am feeling better. We also had our follow-up with the doctor, who said my condition is improving. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also called thrice to check on my health,” she said.

She said besides fatigue, she suffers from shortness of breath. “I breathe heavily at times if I speak continuously. Along with me, my husband, who is 68, also tested positive and was home quarantined as he was asymptomatic. However, we don’t step out at all, not even to buy essentials. We get everything delivered at home,” she added.

RajiKumar Nadar, 39, a Goregaon resident, who was involved in food distribution work for the needy, tested positive on June 12. “My symptoms were mild, so I opted for home quarantine. But I lost around 7kg of weight in over 45 days. My body felt weak. With time, my health is improving,” he said.

Nadar, a martial arts trainer, said he has resumed normal life, but avoids going out.

Sunil Sawant, 56, a Borivli resident, who works in a milk production company, tested positive mid-May. “I only had fever that went in the days after my treatment started. I got admitted and was also discharged by the end of May, after which I was home quarantined. Thankfully, I have not experienced any problem. I have also resumed work. My family members continue to go out for essential work, as we feel we have to live with the virus,” he said.

Ankush Chiplunkar, 31, a fitness trainer, who tested positive mid-May, has recovered physically, but the pandemic had left him financially dry. “I didn’t face any symptoms after my discharge. But it has been four months that I have no earnings. After my treatment, I was badly in need of money. So I went back to my native place in Solapur. The government should allow opening of gyms and fitness clubs with precautions.”

RISING NUMBERS

In Mumbai, the number of recovered patients has been going up. As of July 18, 70,492 patients had recovered, of the total 100,350 cases in the city. This means, the city’s recovery rate has gone up to 70%. From 25,152 on June 12, the number of recovered patients went up to 34,576 on June 23, and crossed the 67,000 mark mid-July, and 70,000 on Saturday.

Dr Samrat Shah, consultant internist at city’s Bhatia Hospital, said, “While the vast majority who contract Covid-19 will make a full recovery, we are likely to see more people with pulmonary fibrosis or persistent lung damage, following acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by Covid-19.’’

He said, “Many will be severely affected for some time following severe infection, and some will need oxygen at home. Meeting such people’s longer-term health and care needs will pose a significant challenge. Covid-19 may also cause other illnesses such as non-specific symptoms to impairment of kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system and clotting system. Some effects could be partly caused by clots in the small blood vessels supplying these organs. There is also likely to be an impact on mental health.”

Dr Shah said that post discharge advice for such patients is to continue chest physiotherapy, increase effort tolerance slowly, take medications as per the advice of doctor, which could be long-term oral steroids, inhalers, home oxygen, etc.

“Although the lungs can recover from severe Covid-19, they can also sustain long-term damage of varying severity. It is important to watch out for the condition in people who suffer from severe Covid-19. An early study of people recovering from Covid-19 found that such damage also improves in the first few weeks after discharge from hospital,” he said.