PUNE: Doctors are now urging Covid patients who’re recovering at home to keep monitoring blood glucose levels. The monitoring, the experts said, should continue after recovery and even if people are not diabetic.
The advisory comes after sporadic reports of mucormycosis — a fungal infection seen in many who've recovered from Covid — among those who were not hospitalised and not administered steroids. Elevated blood sugar level is a factor that increases risk of mucormycosis.
Experts said Covid-19 itself is likely to boost blood sugar levels. So regulating blood sugar levels during and after Covid is certainly advisable, they said.
“Whether diabetic or not, raised blood sugar is the single most important factor in the development of this deadly disease. Sugar control then is of foremost importance,” said ENT surgeon Rajeev Yande.
Physician D B Kadam, head of the Pune Covid-19 Task Force said, “Covid can attack pancreatic beta cells causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Whether you are a diabetic or not, it is advisable to monitor sugar levels during and after Covid.”
Infectious diseases expert Sujata Rege of Bharati Hospital said, “Mucor fungus has an enzyme (ketone reductase), which allows it to thrive in high blood glucose and acidic conditions.”
Endocrinologist and state Covid task force member, Shashank Joshi, said there are seven parameters that have to be monitored during at-home care.
“A close watch on sugar levels is needed during and after Covid treatment. Blood glucose levels have to stay between 140-180. The post-Covid monitoring period is three months,” Joshi said.
Steroids are not advised for home-isolated Covid patients with mild disease. They don’t then face a threat of steroid-induced diabetes, commonly seen in hospitalized and hypoxic patients who are administered steroids.
But most Covid-19 patients recovering at home mainly rely on telephonic consultations.
“Once a patient is advised home isolation and prescribed certain drugs, he or she does not turn up for follow-up checks. Many doctors running clinics in Pune have started reviewing home-isolated patients' conditions at regular intervals. But very few turn up,” said physician Sudhirkumar Mundle.
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