HYDERABAD: Post-Covid complications in bones, joints and infections in the bone are reported in Covid recovered patients who were treated with steroids, remdesivir and tocilizumab. Patients are coming back to hospitals in 60 to 90 days with pain in the hip, joints, shoulders and also inability to walk and a limp.
The age-group of such patients noted in private hospitals is from 38 to 70 years. An early account shows that these patients suffered from pain in the muscle and joints but ignored it as they had already suffered from Covid and did not want to frequent hospitals.
Others reported persistent pain in the hip and knee making walking and weight bearing difficult. This occurred as a side-effect of Covid-19, use of steroids and weak immune system. Dr M.N. Amarnath, senior orthopaedic surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, explained, “Those who were suffering from diabetes, liver and kidney problems have come back to hospital with these problems. Patients have come back after they had severe pain, swelling, inability to move and high-grade fever. These have required aggressive intervention in terms of treatment.”
Experts state that there is a decrease of blood supply to the bones and that eventually leads to bone death. This occurs in parts and it affects one side of the body. Some patients come back with hip joints and knee joints getting infected while others come with complaints of shoulder joints swelling up.
Dr Krishna Kishan, chief orthopaedic surgeon at Medicover Group of Hospitals, explains, “We had patients who required hip replacements as it led to complete deterioration. The patients who come early can be managed medically but as there is not much awareness, many of them are ignoring the symptoms.”
Experts state that it is not like an epidemic of black fungus but every private and government hospital has noted cases of bone sepsis in patients with comorbid conditions.
Dr Abid Ali Khan, professor orthopaedics at Owaisi Hospital and Research centre, says, “The early signs are pain in the hip, groin and back. If these are ignored, the disease progresses to difficulty in walking, limping and falling. These symptoms after recovering from Covid-19 must not be ignored as delay is causing further deterioration.”
Going back to hospitals is dreaded by most and for that reason many of them opt to suffer silently which in post-Covid-19 is not advisable.
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