Many who recovered from Covid-19 still suffering PTSD: Hubballi doctors

HUBBALLI: Although the number of fresh Covid-19 cases is falling drastically, those who suffered a bad attack of the disease — especially those who were in ICU or needed intubation — are still struggling to overcome the after-effects post Covid-19 recovery.
Psychiatrists in the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad say many of these patients suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which includes flashbacks, nightmares and bouts of anxiety, and need counselling.
Dr Alok Kulkarni, psychiatrist at Manas Institute of Mental Health, Hubballi said he sees at least one such patient a week. Prior to the pandemic, he used to see one patient with PTSD a month!
“In acute cases, the SARSCoV2 virus can also affect the brain and produce a range of neuro-psychiatric symptoms,” Dr Kulkarni said. “Those most severely affected are the ones who were intubated. For all them, the disease has been a very traumatic experience.”
Dr Kulkarni cited the example of a 40-year-man whom he recently treated. “I was out when a nurse called me and said a 40 year old man was shivering violently and needed immediate attention. I immediately rushed to the hospital. The man believed he had contracted Covid-19 again. I had to calm him down with medication. During counselling, I found he was suffering from PTSD. He recovered after three months of treatment.”
Dr Mahesh Desai, head of the department of psychiatry, KIMS hospital, Hubballi said he had seen many cases of PTSD when the pandemic was at its peak, while Dr Shivanand Hiremath, a Hubballibased psychiatrist, said he too sees a number of such cases.
“Last week, I had three such patients,” Dr Desai said. “There could be many more who have not sought professional help. Most people don’t know about PTSD, so awareness about this mental health condition should be spread.”