6% who survived Covid-19 in 2020-22 died by 2023: Study

CHENNAI: Nearly 6% of patients who had recovered from Covid-19 between March 2020 and March 2022 had died by July 2023, says a study by Tamil Nadu's health department. The breakup showed nearly 20% fatalities in the 61-80 age group and below 1% among those 40 and younger.

Doctors from the Institute of Community Medicine at Madras Medical College surveyed 1,220 patients in Tamil Nadu (except Chennai) along with officials from the Directorate of Public Health. Of the patients surveyed, 73 died, said the study published in the state public health journal.

"These are for various reasons including post-Covid complications and natural causes. The age-specific mortality follows the general population. The risk was lower among children and almost nil in children under 10 years," said director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam, who is one of the senior authors of the study.

"The study aimed to understand the post-Covid symptoms in the state. It is one of the few studies that has considered people up to three years after the infection," Dr Selvavinayagam said.

Nearly 60% of the patients were infected in the second wave (2021) and 41% of them were hospitalised. The common comorbidities were diabetes (15.5%) and hypertension (13.6%), researchers said.

"Nearly half of cancer, cardiac failure and avascular necrosis of femur (temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to the thigh bone) cases among the study group were reported after Covid-19 infection," Dr Selvavinayagam said.

1 in 5 had recurring signs of Covid
This underscores the wide-ranging and potentially severe complications associated with the virus. Avascular necrosis of the femur was reported by 87% of patients only post-Covid," Selvavinayagam said. There was also an increase in the rate of stroke and heart attacks, the study said.

Analysis show at least one out of five patients had persistent post-Covid symptoms. The most common symptom was loss of appetite and persistent fatigue. Hospitalisation, oxygen requirement, lung involvement, ventilation requirement and comorbidities played a significant role in persistent Covid syndrome, said the study's first author Dr Sudharshini Subramaniam from the Madras Medical College.

The authors said doctors and policymakers should prioritise development of comprehensive post-Covid care protocols. "We must now plan targeted interventions for individuals with severe Covid-19, pre-existing comorbidities and specific post-Covid complications," said joint director of public health (epidemic) Dr P Sampath.