Delhi hospitals witness a rise in cases related to post-COVID complications

Neurology departments in some private hospitals in Delhi are reporting an increase in complications after recovering from COVID-19. Around, 20 to 25 individuals with such problems being seen weekly. Common neurological disorders such as fatigue, brain fog, critical illness and post-COVID stroke were seen in many people in the national capital amid the post-COVID scenario. Confusion, tiredness, vomiting, and persistent anxiousness are all common symptoms. The majority of these individuals are in their early to mid-twenties.

Surge in cases of post-COVID complications

Patients with brain fogging have been recorded even after two months of testing positive, according to neurologists, and cases of serious disease neuropathy have been described after six to eight weeks. Patients with brain fog have moderate headaches, poor moods, difficulties in thinking, concentrating or remembering, according to Dr Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant, Neurosciences at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.

The doctor said, "The critical illness neuromyopathy is observed in patients who have been on ventilators and administered steroids, multiple muscle relaxants and antibiotics. It causes the weakening of all four limbs and it takes six to eight weeks for such patients to get back to normal. In post-COVID stroke, a patient may have clotting or bleeding inside the brain."

Following COVID-19 outbreak, numerous patients have developed mucormycosis, candida, and other fungal infections, as well as respiratory difficulties, hyperlipidemia, malaise and fatigue, and hypertension. 

Aakash Healthcare's Senior Consultant-Neurology, Dr Madhukar Bharadwaj, stated, "In the past two weeks, we have received 15-20 cases with neurological conditions after the patients recovered from COVID. The most common condition we have seen is the acute headache and infection in the brain, known as post-COVID encephalopathy. The other conditions are Guillain-Barre syndrome and muscle weakness."

The neurology expert said, "Guillain-Barre syndrome is a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves. It may be triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection. Symptoms start as weakness and tingling in the feet and legs that spread to the upper body. Paralysis can occur."

Dr Bharadwaj said, "Asymptomatic patients are experiencing headaches after one month as such conditions cannot be diagnosed through the tests. It gets difficult for us to look for the root cause of headaches in such patients." The doctor explained that they are now treating these diseases with steroids because if not addressed promptly, they can lead to other significant neurological disorders.

He added, "We are administering Methyl Pedicinole injections in high doses for three-five days. The headaches caused are migrainous in character and take the longest to recover. We need to administer high doses to treat headaches while the routine patients require double dosages."

Post-COVID complication

In post-COVID neurological problems situations in people under the age of 50, Max Hospital sees at least 15 patients every week on average. Max Healthcare's Head of Neurology Department, Dr J D Mukherji, noted, "After recovery from COVID-19, patients are showing three/four symptoms such as lost in smell and taste, brian fog, Guillain-Barre syndrome, encephalitis and worsening of a previous neurological syndrome such as Perkinson, epilepsy."

Dr Mukherji stated, "I see one to two patients with post-COVID complications per day. So far seen I have seen 15 cases of neuro complications of which eight cases were of Guillain-Barre syndrome and many cases of facial palsy."

Complications are noticed when steroids are used to treat mucormycosis, which infects the brain, according to the expert.  Asymptomatic patients, according to Dr Mukerji, are also affected by neurological issues.  Although COVID-19 can be treated, post-COVID consequences take much longer to heal, and people have died as a result of post-COVID ailments, according to the doctor.  Patients who suffer from brain fog have trouble making decisions, repeating actions, and performing daily tasks correctly.

An increase in consultations for anxiety disorders, sadness and post-traumatic stress disorder has also been observed in mental health facilities. According to research published in The Lancet, approximately 33% of post-COVID patients suffer from neuropsychiatric symptoms such as confusion, loss of taste, inability to focus and lack of attention. 

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: PTI