CHENNAI: A Greater Chennai Corporation study has revealed that one in four recovered patients reported at least one of the following post-Covid symptoms — cough, breathlessness, tiredness, weight loss, hair loss and sleeplessness.
Post-Covid symptoms were significantly higher among those hospitalized than those under home isolation and also higher among those required oxygen therapy than those who didn’t.
41% of patients who had received oxygen supplement reported one of the mentioned symptoms post recovery.
31% who were hospitalized reported symptoms post recovery.
The report was submitted by ICMR consultant Dr Rubeshkumar of the National Institute of Epidemiology who is working with the Greater Chennai Corporation.
As per the study, the GCC established a post-Covid surveillance system and followed up 1,001 patients who recovered from Covid-19.
The post-Covid follow-up team recorded the symptoms through telephonic interviews among the 238 who reported symptoms.
Among them, 136 (57%) were males and 102 (43%) were females.
Persistent symptoms were higher among the age group 45-59 years (40%), followed by 30-44 years (24%).
Among those who remained asymptomatic during the active phase of infection, 4% reported symptoms.
Weight loss (9%), hair loss (7%), fatigue/tiredness (7%) and sleeplessness (5%) were the most common reported symptoms.
Sixteen out of 1,001 (1.6%) individuals reported persistent breathlessness.
According to Dr Rubeshkumar, one in four experienced one of the symptoms 12-14 weeks post recovery from Covid-19.
“Despite symptoms, their functional status remained as same like pre-Covid days,” he inferred.
According to the civic body, those who have persistent symptoms and feel unwell can visit the post-Covid clinics at public health facilities.