COVID-recovered patients are facing respiratory-related problems due to the increased level of pollution. Many of them fear relapse while some have questions on long-term health issues.
Delhi NCR: Around 10 to 15 percent of patients who have recovered from Covid have reported respiratory-related problems. Experts say pollution is one of the major reasons why some patients are facing these difficulties.
“Exposure to air pollution will increase the risk of diseases of the respiratory system – and COVID-19 is mainly a disease of the respiratory system – you will realise that we are increasing the susceptibility, the vulnerability of people who are exposed to air pollution,” says Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department of the World Health Organization.
Problems ranging from minor allergies to life-threatening condition known as pulmonary oedema could be a result of the pollution on COVID negative patients.
“Delhi’s pollution baseline load is already high and it cannot accommodate any additional pollution,” said Dr Kamna Sachdeva, HoD and Associate Professor, Department of Energy and Environment, TERI, Delhi. She also stressed on the need for an integrated programme to tackle the issue of pollution.
Doctors have advised patients against going out of their residence and to contact the hospital if the problems aggravate.
