One in seven discharged COVID-19 patients still using oxygen: AIIMS-Delhi doctor

NEW DELHI: Many patients who were infected with coronavirus and admitted to hospital are still using oxygen at home after getting discharged. And more than 70 per cent of hospitalised patients complaining of shortness of breath and nearly 1 in 7 were still using oxygen at home even a month after being discharged, noted Dr Sundeep Mishra, Professor of Cardiology, AIIMS.

“In patients who have had severe infections, long-term damage may happen not just in their lungs,but even  in heart, immune system, brain among other organs. As a matter of fact, data from previous coronavirus outbreaks, like the SARS epidemic also reveals that these effects can last for years. In light of all this, doctors are now concerned that the pandemic will lead to a significant surge of people battling lasting illnesses and disabilities,” stated  Dr Mishra.

Dr Mishra noted that even months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, nearly one third of patients are still battling fatigue, lung damage, heart attacks, neurological and psychiatric diseases and other symptoms of ‘long Covid’. 

“These patients harboring post Covid complications are called ‘Long Haulers’. However, post Covid complications are not a homogenous disease entity, rather a host of different mechanisms. In many cases, the lungs are not the worst-affected organ. The immune system is also one of the major targets of this disease which pervades the entire body,” he added. 

Normally, infection reduced but after doing the damage. This majorly happens in cases with lung disease. 

Fortunately, this lung damage decreases with time. While the infection can decrease immune-system activity by reducing the production of signalling molecules called interferons, leaving the infect people with a weakened immune system,on the other hand, the coronavirus can also have the opposite effect also, causing parts of the immune system to become overactive and trigger harmful inflammation throughout the body. 

“As a matter of fact cytokine storm is the major cause of multi-organ disease like myocarditis and heart failure and even death during active Covid disease. But the increased inflammation may persist even after one becomes Covid negative with subsequent organ problems.”  

“Persisting inflammation may contribute to increase thrombotic vascular activity which persists even after the infection goes away. There are patients developing heart attacks and sudden deaths soon after being discharged,” added Dr Mishra.