Battle Won, But Not War: Covid Fight Continues After Recovery

60-70% Of Patients Have Some Symptoms Even Later, Some Of Them Serious

- DurgeshNandan Jha

New Delhi: Rajiv Ranjan was diagnosed with Covid-19 on June 8. About a week and two tests later, the infection was confirmed to have subsided. However, even today the 44-year-old bank manager is struggling to breathe and prolonged illness has taken a toll on his mental health. “I still get breathless while talking or walking,” he said.

AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said symptoms of Covid-19 linger on in 60-70% of patients for weeks after recovery. “Body ache, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating and breathlessness are some of the common post-Covid complications,” he added.

“A few patients also suffer from serious complications, for example stroke, heart attack and blockage in one or more arteries of the lungs. There have been instances where a patient with mild symptoms recovered from the disease, but later died due to sudden complications,” Dr Guleria said.

The doctor said serious complications in recovered patients were rare, so people need not be scared. However, they should be watchful of warning signs, such as irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulty and loss of consciousness, among others.