POST COVID SYNDROME; A SCENARIO TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: COVID -19 pandemic is the most important public health problem of recent time. Tens and thousands of people have suffered with COVID-19 in last one and half year. Most people who have suffered with COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks but majority of patients continue to have varied symptoms after initial recovery. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of Post COVID symptoms, to assess requirement of treatment and to make recommendation for Post COVID syndrome care. METHODS: Present cross-sectional study was done among patients who recovered from COVID-19 in GIMS Hospital of Kalaburagi district. Mobile numbers of COVID patients were collected from records. Total 100 randomly selected patients were contacted and information regarding post covid symptoms in between 6 weeks to 12 weeks after recovery from COVID-19 was collected. RESULT: 87%patients developed one or more post covid symptoms. Weakness was reported to be most common problem (55%), followed by body ache (26%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as difculty in concentration and insomnia (22%). Every fth patient reported that symptoms persisted for more than 1 month. Though most of the respondents classied their symptoms as mild and moderate (52.5% and 37.9% respectively), 47% of the symptomatic patients have to take some treatment for these symptoms. CONCLUSION: Post COVID symptoms are common but usually less severe. Many of patients required conservative management with medications. Many patients required lot of counselling. Almost one in ve patients reported that symptoms persisted for more than one month. The results highlight the need for post Covid care for COVID recovered patients.