1st week crucial for COVID-19 patients after leaving hospital: Post-recovery tips for you

Experts say that the first week and a half after recovering from COVID-19 may be especially dangerous. Here are a few post-recovery tips for you.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: December 15, 2020 7:13 pm

Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi have reported witnessing 13 cases of COVID-19-triggered mucormycosis in recovering coronavirus patients.

Many studies earlier showed that in the first few months after their COVID-19 hospital stay, patients face a high risk of ongoing health problems, trips back to the hospital, and even death. But now researchers from the University of Michigan in the US have found that the first week and a half maybe especially dangerous. COVID-19 patients had a 40 per cent to 60 per cent higher risk of ending up back in the hospital or dying in the first 10 days, compared with similar patients treated at the same hospitals during the same months for heart failure or pneumonia. By the end of 60 days, the patients’ overall risk of readmission or death was lower than that for the other two serious conditions, the findings, published in the journal JAMA, reported. Also Read - Beware! Coronavirus can damage your brain in many ways. Here’s what to know

9 PER CENT HOSPITALISED PATIENTS DIE WITHIN 2 MONTHS

Even so, in the first two months, nine per cent of COVID-19 patients, who survived hospitalization had died, and almost 20 per cent had suffered a setback that sent them back to the hospital. That’s on top of the 18.5 per cent who had died during their hospitalization. By comparing COVID-19 patients’ long-term outcomes with those of other seriously ill patients, researchers saw a pattern of even greater-than-usual risk right in the first one to two weeks, which can be a risky period for anyone. Also Read - Genome sequencing of sewage water can help discover new coronavirus variants: US scientists

REHOSPITALISTION, SEPSIS COMMON COMPLICATIONS

The most common reasons listed for rehospitalization were COVID-19, cited in 30 per cent of patients, and sepsis seen in 8.5 per cent. More than 22 per cent of the readmitted veterans went to the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, this is yet more evidence that COVID-19 is not ‘one and done.’ For many patients, COVID-19 seems to set off cascades of problems that are every bit as serious as those seen in other diseases. The research team hopes to continue to study new data from Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA hospitals as it becomes available and to compare COVID-19 post-hospital outcomes with those for other serious conditions. Comparisons with patients hospitalized for influenza and other viral illnesses would be important to study, given the widespread false claims that COVID-19 is just a minor illness. Also Read - 'Game changer against Covid-19': Expert panel recommends phase 1 trial of Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine

POST-RECOVERY TIPS FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS

You need to take care and extra precautions after recovering from COVID-19. Here, we list a few tips that will help you stay safe and avoid complications.

Practice all precautionary measures

Reinfection is a common occurrence in COVID-19. Many patients, after testing negative for the virus, again get infected. Therefore, it is better not to become complacent after you recover. Keep practicing all the precautionary methods like social distancing, wearing face masks and using hand sanitisers.

Ask your doctor if you need to take blood thinning drugs

Clotting of blood is a serious complication of COVID-19. Many people also experience this after recovering from the virus. This is because the virus causes a thickening of the blood. This is dangerous as it can lead to sudden death because of pulmonary embolism, stroke or even cause a heart attack. So, when you are getting discharged from hospital after recovering from COVID-19, ask your doctor if you need to take any blood thinning medication to prevent the formation of clots. It may save your life.

Take care of nutrition

As with all illnesses, you need to take care of your nutrition after COVID-19 recovery too. Eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated and be sure to take all medications as advised by the doctor. This will help you recover faster. If you experience post-recovery symptoms like body ache, fatigue, and breathlessness, this will help you overcome the problems.

Avoid drinking and smoking

Smoking should surely be avoided because this virus attacks the lungs 80 per cent of times. Smoking causes thickening of the blood and also injures the lungs. is another injury to the lungs only. Similarly, drinking alcohol can also have a negative impact on your body. So, it is better to avoid it.

Avoid polluted areas

This is primarily a respiratory ailment that also affects other organs of the body. Air pollution is bad for your lungs and overall health. So, try to stay away from polluted places after you recover from COVID-19 as it can trigger complications.

Be active

A sedentary lifestyle post recovery is dangerous and can again lead to complications. Be active, go about your regular life and don’t just lie around in bed. This will go a long way in helping you recover faster.

(With inputs from IANS)

Published : December 15, 2020 7:13 pm

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