Covid-19 potentially chronic like diabetes & hypertension: Doctors

HYDERABAD: A little over two years into the pandemic, researchers and doctors now see Covid-19 as a potential chronic disease like diabetes and hypertension. In a number of patients, the symptoms triggered by the pandemic virus continue to persist even after cure from infection, indicating that Covid-19 is fast emerging as a chronic ailment.
Normally, symptoms associated with diseases triggered by bacteria or viruses subside once the infection goes.But the symptoms triggered by Covid-19 persist even after the cure. This, doctors, initially termed as long Covid-19. With the symptoms persisting longer – even after a year – health experts argue that Covid-19 should be seen as a potentially chronic disease.

Referring to an international study published on Thursday in Frontiers in Medicine by researchers from the department of community health and family medicine, University of Florida Gainesville, city doctors emphasise the need for recognising the importance of Covid-19 as a chronic disease to check serious health issues at a later date, including brain dysfunction and stroke. It may even lead to premature death, they warn.
“When someone has health issues like cold or typhoid, the disease ends once the patient recovers. On the other hand, Covid-19 shows ongoing health issues in many parts of body after patients recover from the initial episode,” said senior researcher and neurosurgeon Dr P Ranganadham of Sunshine Hospitals, Gachibowli.
Dr Ranganadham told TOI that the persistence of symptoms even one year after cure from Covid-19 qualify it as a chronic ailment. “We strongly advocate that Covid-19 should be listed along with other two viral diseases – HIV and hepatitis B – as health issues persist for life. We have to focus on treatment to prevent later problems such as strokes, cognitive impairment and dysfunction of brain,” he said.
Dr Ranganadham suggests that it is necessary to monitor Covid-19 patients post recovery for severity of long-term effects.
Dr Hari Kishan Gonuguntla, consultant interventional pulmonologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, told TOI that city doctors have come across cases of immune dysregulation following Covid-19 infection. “Estimates of the frequency of long-term symptoms after Covid-19 range from 5% to 80%,” he added.
Senior consultant in internal medicine Dr Shyamala Iyengar of Apollo Hospitals, said even patients with mild symptoms experience health issues after recovery from Covid. “We need more studies to understand why these health problems persist in some people. They could be due to organ damage, a persistent inflammatory or autoimmune response or another reason,” she added.