For some, the SARS-COV-2 virus infection is just like the flu. However, senior medics from Brno University Hospital are warning the public to take Covid-19 seriously in order to avoid long-term damage.Credit: FNBrno
Brno, Dec 22 (BD) – Covid-19 can be treated at home, but it is always important to consult your GP. Some people are getting the disease without symptoms, but there are still many cases in which patients underestimate their condition at home, expecting to be fine the next day, according to medics at FN Brno. While some improve, others end up in hospital. A relatively young person without serious accompanying diseases can cope with the situation by self-medication, usually accompanied by daily, sometimes persistent coughs and increasing shortness of breath or fever. However, these symptoms should definitely not be underestimated by people over the age of 50, or by those who have some underlying condition.
“In this case, you need to contact your GP immediately,” said Dr. Petr Husa, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at FN Brno. “There is, at an early stage of the infection, the use of monoclonal antibodies, which can be taken twice daily. For both preparations, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible, when the virus is actively multiplying in the body. In the event of increasing dyspnea in all age groups, an ambulance should be called.”
If early treatment is started, said the medics’ statement, patients may not have as many consequences in the future. “Longer-term consequences are emerging,” said Dr. Milan Sova, head of FN Brno’s Department of Pulmonary Diseases and TB. “They are more common in severe covid courses when invasive pulmonary ventilation was required. The treatment is individual, rehabilitation generally helps in indicated cases, for example glucocorticoid therapy.” However, along with longer-term lung problems, doctors also see other problems such as fatigue or persistent coughs.
