Delhi Hospital Reports Fourfold Upsurge In Long Covid Cases After Second Wave

Larger number of people were admitted with long COVID syndrome four weeks post the initial recovery in the second wave compared to the first wave in India.

The second wave of COVID-19 in India, which started in the middle of March 2021, led to a massive surge in the number of new infections and deaths. Compared to the first wave, the second wave of Covid-19 was much more infectious, thanks to the alpha (B.1.1.7) and delta (B.1.617.2) variants that are believed to be the main drivers of the second outbreak.

With new variants came newer symptoms like high grade fever, diarrhoea, severe lung infection followed by long COVID syndrome and post COVID complications like falling oxygen levels and lung fibrosis that manifested even after 8 weeks or more of testing positive.

Long Covid is a condition where people who have recovered from COVID-19 are still exhibiting symptoms far longer than usually expected. Known as long haul Covid cases, these patients continue to experience symptoms of the disease four weeks post the initial recovery. Hospitals in the country reported higher cases of long COVID after the second wave of COVID-19 than what was reported post the First Covid Wave.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi said that it reported a fourfold upsurge in long covid cases after the second wave than what was reported last year. A large number of people were admitted with long COVID syndrome after 20-30 days of testing positive, it said in a release.

Common post COVID complications in the second wave

Many patients also reported post Covid complications like breathlessness, prolonged weakness, extreme fatigue, recurrent headaches and fever (post the suppression of initial fever during the time of infection), lung fibrosis, an increased pulse rate, various gastrointestinal issues and some uncommon complications like erectile dysfunction, hair loss and menstrual disturbances in women the hospital said.

Being immunocompromised, some patients are also suffering severe post covid complications like mucormycosis and secondary infections. Recovery for such patients is taking an extended time than expected, it added.

How to prevent/manage post COVID complications

"After the 2nd wave of COVID 19 we have had large number of patients coming in with moderate to severe complications even after 8 weeks of testing positive. This number is extremely high to what we had observed last year," stated Dr M S Kanwar, Lead Lung Transplant and Covid Team, Senior Consultant, Department of Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

The reason for it, he said, "can be a low-grade cytokine reaction or any type of immune dysregulation that is going on in the body and which the body hasn't been able to handle."

According to him, post Covid complications like chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgia are reported four times more in women than men. But complications like lung fibrosis are found to be more severe in men.

As reported in the hospital, the single most common Post Covid symptom after patients become RT-PCR negative is weakness. It is this weakness that leads to tiredness and fatigue and makes it difficult for people to re-focus and feel their normal selves even after five to six months of their testing negative.

Hence, it is highly advisable to manage and monitor health post getting infected with Covid. The hospital suggests taking preventive health checks, eating a nutritious diet, monitoring blood pressure and sugar levels regularly, practising breathing exercises, not taking unnecessary medicines to avoid drug-drug interaction, and keeping in a constant touch with your doctor.