Hyderabad: A city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) conducted a survey, in which COVID recovered patients who underwent home isolation care were telephonically interviewed to assess the post-ailment health and socio-economic status within the GHMC limits of the city.
The HHF was involved in providing free home isolation care under tight medical supervision and round the clock monitoring and tracking to over 300 patients, conducted the survey in which 240 COVID recovered patients participated.
All the patients had the typical COVID symptoms initially, with SOB (moderate to severe) and opted for home isolation care with low oxygen saturations. They then required oxygen therapy.
51 patients in the list are still under treatment and nine patients died after being shifted to hospital. While undergoing treatment, the overall recovery rate under home isolation care has been 80 per cent.
A significant number of patients i.e. 60 per cent were between the age of 30-50, 36 per cent patients between 50-80 years, and 14 per cent of the patients below 30 years of age. 58 per cent of the patients were males and 42 per cent females.
Five per cent patients reported weight loss and eight per cent reported weakness in the post-recovery phase. About three per cent said they are having negative thoughts about the disease and experience depression-like symptoms, two per cent of the patients required O2 supplementation even after recovery and testing negative for COVID. No other significant health abnormality was noted post-recovery in the rest of the cases, when the surveyors checked for weight loss, weakness, depression, anxiety shortness of breath (SOB), the need for O2 supplementation and cough.
85 per cent of the patients said they received the required support from their families during home isolation care.
On a positive note on the socio-economic front, 70 per cent of the male bread earners were able to bounce back quickly and resume work after full recovery from COVID. After testing negative for the same, about 22 per cent of the Bread Earners who suffered from corona. Although fully recovered, reported loss of wages as their work was impacted due to the lock down prior to their falling ill, eight per cent said they are yet resume work due to general weakness.
A significant number under home isolation care, 77 per cent of patients spent less than Rs 5,000 to 10,000 towards treatment. With a free supply of oxygen at the door step by some NGOs, the cost of treatment was significantly lower than what the same patient would have spent in a private hospital.
25 per cent of the patient’s full recovery was noticed in less than 10 days and for 65 per cent it was between 10-14 days. For the rest, it was more than 15 days.
“Our survey has brought out important data points that significantly higher number of COVID positive patients are doing well after recovery and a majority have resumed work after recovery which is a positive sign,” said Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation.