THE FACADE OF RECOVERY
Down To Earth|August 16, 2020
While the government harps on recovered cases, it must also closely track them as studies hint recovery offers no surety of good health
BHAGIRATH SRIVAS
THE FACADE OF RECOVERY

THIRTY-NINE-year-old Jugal Kishore Sharma of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3 and declared COVIDfree on April 27. But his lungs still show infections and a short walk makes him gasp for breath. “I have had X-rays four times in this period. Doctors say there are infections,” he says. Sharma feels he would be asthmatic in future, though he now is one of the 1.2 million Indians who have recovered from COVID-19.

The world now has 11.6 million people to have recovered from COVID-19, and countries, including India, have started monitoring this set of population because several studies hint at long-term impacts of the infection on the body. There have been cases in the country where recovered persons have again contracted COVID-19. In order to formulate a treatment code and also to help in vaccine development, monitoring the health of such recovered patients is critical.

Take the case of Sushila, a 38-year-old teacher in Delhi who tested positive for COVID-19 on June 10. Two weeks later, she assumed to have recovered because the symptoms had receded. She did not get tests done. Now, Sushila says, she gets panic attacks. “During these attacks, my heart beats very fast. Sometimes I feel as if my heart would burst out,” she says. “It is a condition new to me,” she adds.

Avnish Chaudhury, a journalist with a television channel, has reconciled to the fact that he would no longer breathe normally. He contracted COVID-19 in May and two months after his recovery, he still feels fatigued, has irregular heartbeats and a strange sense of not being able to do regular chores.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM DOWN TO EARTHView all
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Down To Earth

A SPRIG TO CARE FOR

Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits

time-read
3 mins  |
November 01, 2024
DIGGING A DISASTER
Down To Earth

DIGGING A DISASTER

Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 01, 2024
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Down To Earth

REVIEW THE TREATMENT

Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient

time-read
3 mins  |
November 01, 2024
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
Down To Earth

MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE

As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production

time-read
4 mins  |
November 01, 2024
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Down To Earth

Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?

Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag

time-read
4 mins  |
November 01, 2024
TROUBLED WOODS
Down To Earth

TROUBLED WOODS

Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 01, 2024
BLINDING GLOW
Down To Earth

BLINDING GLOW

The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 01, 2024
GROUND REALITY
Down To Earth

GROUND REALITY

What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?

time-read
6 mins  |
November 01, 2024
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
Down To Earth

GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC

On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 01, 2024
Vinchurni's Gandhi
Down To Earth

Vinchurni's Gandhi

A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara

time-read
2 mins  |
November 01, 2024