Premature to conclude post COVID complications are rising: Health Ministry in Lok Sabha

On prolonged impacts of the post-COVID-19 complications and the frequent emergence of its sequelae diseases, the centre on Friday filed its response in the Parliament and said that it will be premature to conclude that diseases like lung fibrosis and thrombotic events are rising. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Lok Sabha that it will be premature to say that complications caused post-COVID-19 are on the rise. Besides, the government accepted that a large number of cases of fungal infections have been found linked with the coronavirus infection during the recent surge.

“It may be premature to conclude that complications like lung fibrosis and increased thrombotic events directly due to COVID-19 infection are on the rise. However, a larger number of cases of fungal infections have been noted, linked with COVID-19 during the recent surge," she added. 

She notified the measures taken by the government to take note of the present situation and monitor the post-Covid complications, to understand the situation better. Panwar informed that Earlier on June 7 in a letter to the Prime Minister, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), had apprised the government on the rise of the post-Covid complications such as lung fibrosis, thrombotic events and fungal infections in the country, and also asked the government to be prepared.

Centre initiates researches to study the prolonged impact of COVID-19 and related illness

On IMA’s recommendation, the government had set up a separate research cell to study post-Covid complications and come out with multi-faceted treatment guidelines in all disciplines of medicine. 

Objective of Research

The objective of the research will be to utilise the data to find out the natural course of the disease, the spectrum of the disease and other prognostic factors related to it. The outcome data will help the government to assess specific medications, health systems, etc. MoS, Health, Pawar informed that the expert group consultations under the director-general of health services will be reviewing the emerging evidence of the subject if any. The team will also monitor, COVID-19’s aftereffects on the specific organ system, including the respiratory system, renal system, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal.

The researchers will be responsible collate data across the country and will work to discover the frequency, clinical and laboratory features, treatments and outcomes of Covid-related multi-system inflammatory disorder. The research will be done on both, children and adolescents. To conduct the research, around 50 satellite centres and 14 registry sites have been included. Meanwhile, all AIIMS-like institutions have been requested to add to the research.

Ample amount of Drugs available in Indian Market to Treat Mucormycosis: MoS Health to Parliament

Addressing the house on availability of the drugs in sufficient numbers to treat diseases like mucormycosis or Black fungus, Pawar asserts that both first and second-line drugs that are used for managing mucormycosis cases -- Amphotericin B Deoxycholate and Posaconazole -- are amply available in the Indian markets. She added, “Since early May, the details of production, stock, supplies made and purchase orders were obtained from the manufacturers and their cooperation was sought to overcome the gap between supply and demand.  The government has taken various measures to improve the availability of Amphotericin B (Liposomal) through a multi-pronged approach of augmenting production and import and equitable distribution.” 

(PTI Inputs)
Image: PTI/ANI