NEW DELHI:  The Centre has started a crucial exercise to follow up and document clinical details of cured Covid-19 patients to assess whether they have long term complications after recovering from the infection. The project involves 9 hospitals under the Centre, including three in Delhi and six AIIMS in various states. 

The development comes amidst reports that many patients who get cured are later complaining of various medical conditions such as acute fatigue, breathlessness and even onset of diabetes. While many research papers have emerged in other countries on post-recovery complications, there is no such data or study in India yet.

Rajesh Bhushan, officer on special duty in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday said the consultative exercise has begun under the supervision of director general of health services and will involve LNJP and RML hospitals and Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi.

The project has started following a suggestion by an expert group on Covid-19 clinical research constituted by the ICMR. “We suggested this project since it’s important to understand the course of the disease in Indian context,” a member of the group said. A recent study of 143 recovered hospital patients in Italy, published had shown that 87 percent were still suffering at least one symptom 2 months after falling ill.