COVID recovery: When do you require post-COVID-care?

The second wave of coronavirus caused a massive spurt of infections and left many requiring intensive, critical care and hospitalization. While the cases ebb and recovery rates continue to rise, we are now facing a growing rise of post-COVID-complications and witnessing people suffering from long COVID symptoms.

While recovery from the virus isn’t an easy road, doctors deem the rising post-COVID-scenarios and people in crucial need of support as the biggest crisis to emerge before the third phase comes up. While lingering symptoms, complications like new diabetes post-COVID-19, debilitating health that could make people require support, it’s just as important to take care of one’s health post-recovery just as crucial it is during the infection phase.

ALSO READ: These COVID symptoms in the first week may predict long-term risks

Some of the symptoms start to slowly fade away in weeks and in cases of mild to moderate infections, the return back to normalcy could be quicker. But what if you continue to face issues weeks or months after testing negative for the virus?

When is it the right time to seek post-COVID-care? Are there tests one needs to take?

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Recovery from viral illness takes a while and with a disease of magnitude as severe as COVID-19, which has been shown to impact many internal organs as well as mental health, return back to normalcy can take some while, especially if a person has battled severe disease or required intensive hospitalization.

In cases of severe infection, viral inflammation can cause extensive damage to important organs such as the lungs and the chest. Not only do patients require the use of external oxygenation to facilitate breathing, resuming normal lung function can take a while as there can be a high level of involvement and inflammation as well. Immunity, after fighting the virus can also be compromised, or for those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, frail health and immunity can prolong recovery timelines as well. Thus, some people can experience COVID-19 symptoms for months on at a stretch, be in chronic pain and take a long while to recover from COVID-19.

For those fighting post-COVID complications, such as mucormycosis (black fungus infection), avascular necrosis and other such conditions, additional treatment may be required, which can further extend recovery odds and impact health.

Factors like age, comorbidities, severe disease battle and complications can also affect recovery timelines.

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It’s important to recognize that depending on the type and severity of infections, your symptoms post-infection can vary. COVID long haulers, or those who are battling long COVID symptoms exhibit symptoms vaguely similar to the infection. Some of the most common symptoms post-recovery include fatigue, malaise, low immunity, lingering cough, myalgia, anxiety, facing sleep issues, digestive ailments etc.

Apart from this, a COVID-19 attack could also impact vital health and may seldom affect heart health, neurological functioning and organ damage.

The symptoms tend to resolve in a matter of weeks, but sometimes, the symptoms can take longer. On average, a proper recovery can stretch to 2-3 weeks post-testing negative. However, if the symptoms persist for over 3 months time in different degrees, or complications are seen in the 6-months time post recovery, assistance and further diagnosis might be needed.

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With severe and critical COVID-19 cases, doctors expect COVID-19 survivors to get follow-up visits and specialized care (depending on what the need may be) post-discharge. However, since long COVID-19 isn’t synonymous just with people who were hospitalized or needed intensive care, long COVID-19 and debilitating symptoms may also strike a person who has a mild or asymptomatic infection. For example, post-COVID fatigue, malaise, and mental health issues could be commonly seen in COVID-19 survivors.

Therefore, if a person is battling post-COVID symptoms or any complications, it would be wise to not skip a follow-up visit to the doctor, or schedule one if you didn’t have to have follow up visits before. Not only is post-COVID care important, but a specialized doctor can also diagnose the severity of your symptoms, help treat milder symptoms, issue recommendations for serious symptoms and guide you to taking good care of yourself.

Since a number of long-COVID care centres are also opening up in cities across the world, it would also be ideal to book yourself an appointment with specialized doctors for some months following the infection battle. A visit to a cardiologist/ pulmonary specialist/ gastrointestinal specialist/neurologist should be scheduled if you were at risk during the recovery or over a certain age. With more cases of post-COVID heart attacks rising, heart health for one should not be ignored at any cost.

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In the weeks following recovery, doctors also recommend going for some pre-emptive tests and diagnostic tests to determine the risk of any complications/future ailments for a patient who has recently recovered. While most tests are ordered by treating doctors only, it would be advisable to get tests done like:

-Complete blood count (CBC) tests

-Glucose, cholesterol panel

-Neuro-function assessment and tests

-Chest scans

-Heart imaging and cardiac screenings

-CRP test

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