A classic definition of COVID re-infection delineates two positive RT- PCR tests at an interim difference of 90-102 days with an intervening negative in between
The second wave of COVID-19 continues to spread far and wide across the country, however, despite surging cases, India continues to have a high recovery rate. While most people suffering from Coronavirus can go on to lead a healthy life post recovery, yet, from what we have seen so far, the SARS-COV-2 virus can leave lingering repercussions for people, even after testing negative.
Newer findings suggest that people with even mild COVID-19 may be at the risk of developing certain pronounced, long-term complications which may be different from the damage caused by the COVID infection. Post-COVID Syndrome means that even after testing negative for the virus, people continue to experience debilitating symptoms that persist for days or months at stretch.
COVID - 19 recovery might take weeks or months even after testing negative with the virus. Also, it is important to note that the COVID infection may silently affect the patient’s lungs, heart, kidney, nerves or any other organ — the symptoms of which may not be noticeable immediately but may have long-term disabling effects. Therefore, a comprehensive programme that would enable complete clinical assessment of the patient by a team of specialists is the need of the hour to assess the patient’s health in its entirety and ensure that the patient gets timely diagnosis & treatment and recovers completely.
COVID Reinfection: While reinfection is relatively rare, but statistics have placed this possibility to be around 4-5 per cent in various populations. A classic definition of COVID re-infection delineates two positive RT- PCR tests at an interim difference of 90-102 days with an intervening negative in between. As per the CDC and ICMR description of COVID re-infection, it means one positive and negative conversion and a re-positive in between 90 to 100 days.
People facing the reinfection are mainly those with comorbidities, healthcare workers and frontline workers. Hence, this is something to be watched out in people of this subgroup. While CDC and ICMR now recognise it as a known-entity, however, they emphasise it should be backed with more studies.
COVID affects the body in more ways than one, it causes fibrosis to the lungs which in turn reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the lungs. The oxygen availability to most of the organs gets affected associated with thrombosis or thromboembolic phenomena.
The recent wave is a protein losing enteropathy which contributes to weakness and all of this leads to delayed recovery, hyperoxia or lack of oxygen to any organ that can have detrimental effects on the musculature of the organs as a result of which organs work less or lower than before.
The damage brought about by hypoxia takes significant time to recover, thereby delaying the recovery period in Covid patients. Furthermore, the thrombosis relates to the covid pathology and protein losing enteropathy or protein losing diarrhoea which can lead to further delay in recovery.
Moreover, certain category of patients may need re-admission — patients who require mechanical ventilation, ICU or form into any high-risk category of lung fibrosis, because they have difficulty in breathing due to lung pathology or have delayed hyperoxia owing to fibrosis in lungs. Also, people with prolonged illnesses, Diabetes or obesity are much likely to need re-hospitalisation even after getting a negative COVID report with symptoms like breathlessness and/or decrease in oxygen.
The writer is Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj , Gyneacologist Obstetrician and IVF expert Nurture IVF