Post-COVID syndrome or Long COVID has emerged as a major roadblock in the recovery of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Amidst many symptoms such as myalgia (muscle pain), headache, cough and breathlessness, fatigue is most prevalent and makes a COVID patient severely debilitated.
The first-of-its-kind study, conducted jointly by Fortis C-DOC, AIIMS, C-NET, N-DOC and Diabetes Foundation, is published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews.
The results show that diabetes complicates the course of COVID-19 and results in excess morbidity and mortality; the presence of diabetes also influences Long COVID via various pathophysiological mechanisms. Besides, diabetes also poses challenges in the recovery of patients.
"Fatigue is a predominant and very debilitating factor, present afterward in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID patients. Fatigue and associated symptoms decrease quality of life and interfere with normal working capacity," Dr. Anoop Misra, Executive Chairman and Director, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Fortis C-DOC, shared in a statement.
"In addition, diabetes poses challenges in the recovery of patients. It is imperative, therefore, for chronic diabetic patients to follow a healthy lifestyle, adhere to treatment guidelines and go for regular health checks," added Misra, who is also a Padma Shri recipient.
The team assessed the prevalence of fatigue among 108 Type-2 diabetes patients using the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ-11) and handgrip strength (as a surrogate marker for sarcopenia or muscle mass and power) after COVID-19 infection. They compared them against patients with diabetes without a history of COVID-19 (52 Type 2 diabetes patients with COVID vs 56 Type 2 diabetes patients without COVID).
While Type-2 diabetes patients who had COVID-19 showed significantly more fatigue compared to those who did not have COVID-19, both groups had comparable handgrip strength.