The uncontrolled Sugar level is known for the high fatality rates during the pandemic and hence the doctors have advised all the diabetic patients who have recovered from Covid to keep a check on their sugar level post-recovery period.
Accordion to the reports, Doctors have said that after the recovery from coronavirus, diabetic patients should consult their family doctors or visit the post-Covid care clinics to check up on their sugar levels on a regular basis.
“Sugar level is known to rise during Covid, sometimes out of control and require continuous infusion of insulin by the pump. Some non-diabetic patients are also diagnosed as diabetic during Covid,” said Dr. Durga Lawande, Head of pulmonary medicine at GMC.
“Once the stress of Covid is over, sugar levels start falling again. Covid itself and the medication used to treat it, both cause hyperglycemia- high sugar. We have to de-escalate this post-recovery,” she said.
Lawande further mentioned that the patient should avoid self-medication and must consult either their professional doctor or the post-Covid care clinic.
Goa Medical College started the post-Covid care clinics in the last month where they take CT scans to discern if the patient requires home oxygen and to regulate their sugar levels.
“The insulin dosage needs to be tapered once a patient recovers from the infection. They cannot continue with the same dosage and must come to the clinic so that their dosage is modified according to their sugar profile. Self-medication stresses the body,” stated Dr. Rita Vas, Coordinator of the post-Covid care clinic at Hospicio hospital in Margao.
“Sometimes their CT scans are fine. We show them the scans and tell them there is no problem with them. But many have developed anxiety,” said Lawande.
According to the post-Covid care clinics, complaints of insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, fatigue, some with upper respiratory symptoms and few with breathlessness are reported.
The first post-Covid care clinic at Hospicio Hospital consists of a full team that checks up on recovered patients and guides them regarding breathing exercises, yoga, and nutrition to help them build their lung capacity and to recover faster.
“The clinic has also seen post-Covid patients in home isolation who neglected symptoms during Covid and immediate post-Covid and suffered the consequences later,” said Vas.
“It easily takes four to six weeks to completely recover. The moment people feel physically fit they get back to their normal life, but they must take it slow. Since their immunity is low, they must follow Covid behavior to see that there is no further toll on the lungs. People must follow good nutrition and take medications for any respiratory symptoms and must not ignore these symptoms,” she stated.
