Cured? Eat chyawanprash, do yoga

PATNA

: Health experts have appealed to recovered Covid patients in the city to religiously follow the guidelines issued by the ministry of health and family welfare to stay healthy.

According to the guidelines, Covid-recovered patients should eat

chyawanprash

, practice

yoga

and take immunity boosting AYUSH medicines for a holistic post-Covid health management.

President of state unit of Indian Academy of Paediatrics-Bihar, Dr Arun Shah, said post-Covid complications affect vital organs of the body, including the lungs, heart and kidney. Complications such as pulmonary fibrosis affect the exercise tolerance of recovered patients and causes breathlessness in them.

“There is an urgent need to self-monitor the clinical status of recovered Covid patients in order to rule out such complications. Medical parameters such as pulse rate, oxygen saturation, temperature and blood pressure should be monitored on a regular basis after recovery. Symptoms like shortness of breath, palpitation and confusion, if persist for long time after recovery, should be brought to the notice of doctors,” Dr Shah added.

The health ministry has also suggested recovered patients to consume freshly cooked nutritious meals, which are easy to digest. Besides, adequate sleep and rest throughout the day is recommended. Smoking and consumption of liquor is prohibited post recovery.

Rajendra Nagar resident Shilpi Singh, who recovered from

Covid-19

in August, said she has been adding herbs and spices in her gargling concoction for curing her sore throat. “Even after taking allopathic medicines for weeks, my sore throat refuses to go. I am now trying alternative treatments to alleviate residual symptoms of Covid,” she said.

In a bid to create awareness and dispel the stigma attached to Covid-19, the health ministry has encouraged recovered individuals to share their positive experiences with their friends and relatives using social media. Patients experiencing psychological distress are advised to seek psychosocial support from peers, community health workers and counsellors.

The guidelines also called upon healthcare facilities to set up the first follow-up visit within seven days after the discharge of a

cured

patient. Subsequent follow-up visits can be to the nearest qualified AYUSH practitioner for immunity boosting treatments.

Boring Road-based AYUSH practitioner Dr K K Prasad said while allopathic medicines are used for symptomatic treatment of the disease, ayurvedic medicines have antioxidant properties that enable the body to heal on its own by boosting immunity. “I prescribe a home-made ‘kadha’ to Covid patients and their families. The ‘kadha’ consists of giloy, tulsi, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Raw turmeric is also prescribed to patients experiencing post-Covid complications, such as weakness and nausea,” Dr Prasad added.

Former president of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association Dr Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said although there is no overwhelming evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative medicine in post-Covid complications, a holistic healthcare approach has shown good results in many patients.

“Low-impact yoga asanas should be practised post recovery for maintaining joint flexibility. Also, mild breathing exercises such as pranayama should be done to improve lung health. Meditation can also help alleviate psychological stress in recovered patients,” he said.