A flu shot may help you check pollution impact after Covid-19 recovery

If you have recovered from the novel coronavirus and you reside in a high air pollution zone, clinicians recommend getting a flu shot to lower severity of post-recovery symptoms and also protect against flu infection.

“With rising pollution, falling temperature and increasing crowding during the festival season, everyone is at risk and those with ‘long Covid’ must get vaccinated against the flu to lower severity of post-recovery symptoms and also protect against flu infection,” Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, told the Hindustan Times.

Earlier, experts had suggested that air pollution may increase the transmissibility of Covid-19, making people more vulnerable to the disease and aggravating the Covid-19 situation. They had also warned that those who have had the infection in the past may also have to face new challenges.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

According to UK-based patient group LongCovidSOS, data from a King’s College London-devised symptom tracker app shows that 10 per cent of Covid-19 patients remain unwell after three weeks, and up to five per cent may continue to be sick for months.

Another study quoted by the publication report found that 87 per cent of 143 patients in Rome suffered from 'long Covid' symptoms for nearly two months after they had recovered. Ongoing illness after infection with Covid-19 is often called 'long Covid'. Some of the common symptoms people suffer from include Cough, fatigue, diarrhoea, joint pain, muscle aches, and lungs, heart, and kidney damage.

“Hundreds of Covid-19 patients have been treated at Apollo Hospitals and what we’ve found in large follow-ups is that patients who had pneumonia on chest X-ray, needed oxygen or respiratory support have persistent symptoms beyond recovery, such as a nagging cough, breathlessness while walking, fall in exercise tolerance and chronic fatigue. Older adults and people on oxygen support are at maximum risk, but it doesn’t happen only to people in ICU.

"I recommend an annual flu vaccine to all recovered Covid-19 patients and a pneumococcal vaccine to protect against pneumonia to people before the age of 65 to protect them from chronic respiratory diseases when the weather turns cold and pollution level peaks,” Dr Rajesh Chawla, senior pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi told the publication.

Dr Vivek Nangia who practices at Delhi's Max Super Speciality Hospital pointed out a study which has been published by Harvard Medical School. "They have shown that with every 1 micron per metre rise in PM 2.5 particles, there's an eight per cent increase in the mortality. Indeed, a tough time for post-Covid patients is in store," he had told PTI.

(With agency inputs)