Rohit Shishodia
With every new day, doctors are disseminating new information related to COVID-19 and its complications. They say that erectile dysfunction, menstrual disturbances and hair loss could be signs of long COVID-19.

Many Covid recovered patients still suffer from 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, reports Delhi’s Apollo Hospitals.

The hospital has informed that there is a fourfold rise in long Covid patients after the second wave. 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.

Long Covid is a condition where people who have recovered from COVID-19 still exhibit symptoms far longer than usually expected.

The hospital has pointed out that lung fibrosis, breathlessness and depleting oxygen levels remain some of the most reported complications in long Covid cases.

“The variant of concern was different this time with newer symptoms like high grade fever, diarrhea, severe lung infection followed by long COVID syndrome and post COVID complications like falling oxygen levels and lung fibrosis that manifested even after eight weeks or more of testing positive,” said the hospital in a press release.

Dr MS Kanwar, Lead Lung Transplant and Covid Team, Senior Consultant, Department of Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Apollo Hospitals says, “After the second wave of COVID 19 we have had large number of patients coming in with moderate to severe complications even after eight weeks of testing positive. The reason for it can be a low grade cytokine reaction or any type of immune deregulation that is going on in the body and which the body hasn’t been able to handle.”

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.

“To manage and monitor health post getting infected with Covid, it is highly advisable to take preventive health checks, eat a nutritious diet, note blood pressure and sugar levels, engage in breathing exercises, not administer unnecessary medicines to avoid drug-drug interaction and  keeping in a constant touch with your doctor,” advised Dr Kanwar.