Watch out for post Covid signs: AIIMS chief to docs

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 24

Doctors across the country must prepare to treat post Covid symptoms that can last up to 12 weeks and in some cases even beyond that, said Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS New Delhi.

Citing evidence of rampant post Covid complications Guleria said as the number of recoveries increased, the burden of post Covid symptoms would rise too and it would require a multidisciplinary approach on part of the medical fraternity.

“People can have prolonged signs after recovery such as problems with breathing, long spells of cough, high pulse rate. Chronic fatigue symptoms are also common. All this will require symptomatic treatment,” Guleria said.

Referring to brain fog after Covid recovery — a condition marked by lack of concentration, insomnia and depression — the AIIMS chief said rehabilitation of Covid survivors was important.

After a Ghaziabad patient was detected with “yellow fungus”, Guleria appealed to people not to identify fungal diseases by colour as it was creating confusion. He said the disease should be called by its name such as mucormycosis (better known as black fungus).

Guleria said 95 per cent patients of mucormycosis had diabetes and were on steroids. He said people with high blood sugar and steroid use at homes were also getting mucormycosis. “So oxygen use linkage is not necessary for the disease,” the expert added, noting that Candida was another fungal infection affecting people and could spread to blood causing serious complications.

“It is better to use direct names rather than colours for fungal infections. Also mucormycosis is not communicable. A majority of the people getting mucormycosis at AIIMS were in an early stage of Covid,” Guleria said.