COVID-19 can leave lasting impact on patient’s heart, lungs, say doctors

COVID-19

Many patients are advised to take blood thinners to prevent clotting post their recovery from coronavirus.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image/PTI

While primary focus remains on saving lives of persons contracting the coronavirus infection, doctors in Bengaluru like elsewhere in the country, remain worried about post-COVID-19 recovery disorders. Besides fatigue, headache, coughing, muscle pain, loss of appetite and smell, serious long lasting health issues including those threatening one’s life may need careful attention, experts say. Dr S Sachidanand, Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and head of the state’s Death Audit Committee said over the course of the pandemic many medical colleges in the state, both government and private have risen to the challenge and set up post-COVID recovery OPDs (out-patient departments). He said as a general practice, all COVID-19 patients who were hospitalised are advised to monitor any discomfort or complaints they may experience in the fortnight of their discharge. The most common complications post COVID-19 relate to a patient’s hearts, lungs and kidneys.    Dr Sachinand explained, “COVID-19 is known to attack the heart, lungs and kidneys. So often the complications are seen much later. Mostly asymptomatic patients do not exhibit any severe damage to their organs but it is mostly persons with existing comorbidities whose conditions worsen further.” He, however, added that during the course of the pandemic treatment, modifications have been  made to minimise occurrence of such post-recovery disorders. “For example, we are using steroids when we sense some sort of damage to the lungs and timing of the usage is very important. So many post-recovery problems we are still addressing are those of patients who recovered before August-September.”  Dr CN Manjunath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and nodal officer of COVID-19 testing in the state, said COVID-19 causes long-lasting clot formation tendency. “So we administer blood thinning medicine depending on the patient's condition. So we often have to give such medicines for anywhere between three-six weeks even for mildly symptomatic patients.” For patients with already known heart conditions, they would be often advised to continue taking their regular medicines and investigation has to be taken up to further assess the course of treatment.  Take the case of Vishwanath*, 59, who was admitted to a Bengaluru private hospital for two weeks in the month of August for COVID-19 treatment.He had contracted the novel coronavirus after undergoing angioplasty earlier this year. He has been advised to take blood thinners in addition to his medicines for his heart condition. “Doctors have said that these medications are important for my well-being and a continuation of the COVID-19 treatment, even though I am quite fine now,” he said. Dr Subha KJ, senior consultant overseeing COVID-19 care at KC General Hospital in Bengaluru said it is mostly small blood vessels that are prone to clots in any part of the body. “This means that many patients can get stroke or heart attacks. To prevent such orders we are carrying out four blood tests to check inflammation markers to identify vulnerable patients for all recovered patients,” she said. She added for patients with severe lung issues, who suffered from pneumonia and who were dependent on artificial oxygen supply may need close supervision. She further said that patients who had borderline kidney diseases have seen their conditions worsen post their recovery.  Dr Pramukh N, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and acupuncture specialist said there needs to be a multi-prong approach to COVID-19 post-recovery treatment and even asymptomatic patients need to be screened. Pramukh is also the advisor of COVID Raksha initiative launched by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya. He said, “Post-recovery we see ayurveda, acupuncture giving us good results as part of alternative medicine to rehabilitate. Most patients who recover are extremely susceptible to bacterial infections as they are subjected to many immunosuppressants for COVID-19 treatment.”

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IMA scam: Karnataka government suspends three cops for allegedly accepting bribes

Crime

The CBI in its inquiry report alleged that the three officers accepted bribes to submit a favourable report on IMA’s dealings to the government.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government on Monday suspended three police officers on allegations of corruption levelled by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the Ponzi scam perpetrated by I, Monetary Advisory founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan.  The CBI’s inquiry alleged that the then Deputy Superintendent of Police (Economic Offences) attached with the Criminal Investigation Department, Commercial Street Police Inspector M Ramesh and sub-inspector P Gowrishankar allegedly accepted bribes from Mohammed Mansoor Khan to submit improper inquiry reports into the company’s dealings.  These three police officers were suspended on Monday and will receive subsistence allowance. However, the government order states that they cannot leave the police headquarters in Bengaluru without permission from the competent authority.  The government also granted permission to the CBI to prosecute EB Sridhar, M Ramesh and P Gowrishankar, IPS officers Hemanth Nimbalkar and Ajay Hilory. According to sources, in April 2017, the Income Tax Department had conducted a search and seizure operation at various properties owned by Mansoor Khan. He was under investigation for not filing returns since the 2015-16 fiscal year. The IT Department had received a tip off from the RBI in 2015. It was then that RBI had asked the state government to look into the dealings of IMA. The Revenue Department had dropped the probe when they found that the investors were listed as partners of IMA.  Read: Tracing the meteoric rise of IMA Jewels scam kingpin Mansoor Khan In 2018, when a section of investors stopped getting their monthly dividends, the company once again came under RBI scanner. This time, the Revenue Department decided to probe the matter and had also issued a public notice regarding IMA’s fraudulent activities in November 2018. Central Crime Branch police say that the economic offenses wing was already investigating Mansoor Khan when a similar halal investment company — Ambident Marketing — was exposed for indulging in a Ponzi scheme.  In 2018, the state government handed over the probe to the CID. The CID submitted a report in favour of IMA and had allegedly said that no fraudulent activities were taking place. The investigating officer in the case was EB Sridhar and the CBI alleges that he accepted bribes to submit a favourable report to the state government.  The CBI had begun probing the case in 2019 and had also conducted raids on two IPS officers, the then CID chief Hemanth Nimbalkar and former Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Hilory (East). The CBI also registered an FIR against the IPS officers and the three other police officers on January 1 this year. It was after the CBI submitted its inquiry report that the three officers were suspended. However, the state government has not issued any suspension orders against Hemanth Nimbalkar and Ajay Hilory. 

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After public anger, Deputy CM Govind Karjol pens open letter for not visiting flood-hit areas

Floods

Being the district in-charge Minister for Kalaburagi, which has been badly hit by floods, there was public anger against Karjol for not visiting flooded areas.

IANS

Govind Karjol

Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister, Govind M Karjol, who has come under severe criticism over not visiting flood-affected areas, shot off an emotional letter to people of Bagalkote district, stating that they must forgive him not visiting his people as he was "emotionally shattered" over his son, Dr Gopal Karjol who is critically ill and on ventilator for the last 24 days in the hospital. In a letter posted on his Twitter account, titled - My Service Your Pleasure (Seve Nannadu, Sweekara Nimmadu) - he emotionally appealed to people not to judge him over his decision to not visit flood-hit areas. "I know I could not be on your side at this hour of distress. I had not told anyone till date about my son not being discharged till date, who is on ventilator due to Covid attack," he said. The letter further read that he (Gopal) needs better treatment, therefore, we have decided to move him to a super speciality hospital in Hyderabad. "He needs me and my family's presence even more than before. That is why I have not been able to be on your side. He is 43-year old and I am doing what a father should do at this hour," he said. "I am deeply distressed. Along with my family members who were hit by Covid virus, I had come out after treatment but not my son, Gopal who is on a ventilator for the last 24 days. He is fighting his biggest battle, so are we as a family. People of Bagalkote, must forgive me for not being with them," he signed off the letter. Congress leaders including Leader of the Opposition, Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, DK Shivakumar along with several other leaders had criticised Karjol heavily on social media for not visiting flood affected areas in North-Karnataka region and instead taking part in the BJP campaign in Sira Assembly by-polls. After this, several Media channels launched a campaign - absentee ministers - and raised questions. Karjol has appeared on media channels in the past week since the rains began. Just three days ago, notwithstanding the Dy. CM's emotional appeal, Shivakumar as well as Siddaramaiah continued to demand Karjol's resignation for him not able discharge his duties as a minister. Continued attacks on him seem to have triggered Karjol to post such an emotional message on his Twitter.  

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No masks, sanitizers: People in Karnataka flood relief camps fear contracting COVID-19

Floods

People at relief camps say that there is no physical distancing maintained, and no masks or sanitisers have been provided at these centres.

Theja Ram

Bhima River

“What if my children and grandchildren get COVID-19?” This is the fear ringing through the minds of people at the Koodi Dargah, a relief camp in Kalaburagi district’s Jewargi taluk. Meenakshamma Pampagouda, a 68-year-old resident of Jewargi taluk, said that the district administration has not provided them with masks, sanitisers or any safety equipment to protect them from COVID-19.  There are three rooms in the relief camp, to which over 100 people have been shifted from different villages in Jewargi. With no clothing, beds and blankets provided to the people there, Meenakshamma fears that her grandchildren might fall sick.  Meenakshamma, her two sons, daughters-in-law and three grandchildren came to the Koodi Darga relief camp four days ago, when water from the Bhima river flooded the entire village of Balwad. “No one told us that so much water was going to be released from the dams. We had no warning to pack up and leave,” she laments.  Meenakshamma fears that the lack of physical distance in the relief camp can spread the infection of the coronavirus quickly. “There are so many schools which are empty. They could have shifted people to these places instead of shifting large numbers of people to one camp. When we left, we couldn’t get any of our belongings, including masks, as they were washed away in the water. Shouldn’t the government provide us with at least masks?” she questioned.  Ashamma, a 29-year-old mother to a 6-year-year-old boy, says that the people have not been provided with blankets or beds to sleep on. “I have a 6-year-old son. My husband is also here but he has gone back to the village to see if any of our clothes or belongings have been safe. I just don’t want my son to get sick,” she said. She and her family have been shifted to the Devangaon relief camp.  Over the last five days, floods have hit three taluks of Kalaburagi, including Jewargi, Chittapura and Afzalpur. The heavy inflow of water into the Bhima River from the Ujjaini and Veer Dams in Maharashtra has completely flooded 57 villages in the district. On Monday, 8 lakh cusecs of water was released into the Bhima River, said Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner VV Jyothsna.  “Rs 50 lakh has been released for each taluk for the flood relief work now and we are working with that. We have been shifting people to relief camps and doing our best. Masks and sanitisers will be provided shortly. We have provided them in many relief camps but it may take time for it to reach some camps in remote places,” she added. Though the district administration has not yet determined the full extent of the damage caused by the floods, it says that around 23,250 people have been displaced. “It is possible for communicable diseases to spread in times of floods. We have been providing clean drinking water to everyone at relief camps. We have directed the districts to do this. We have asked the helpers at the relief camps to sanitise the place regularly. We will start taking samples for testing soon. Pregnant women, senior citizens and children will be taken to the PHCs, or taluk hospitals shortly. We received the orders from the Health Department today,” VV Jyothsna said. Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr K Sudhakar said that mobile PHCs (Primary Healthcare Centres) in the districts will be put to use to tend to people who fall sick. Dr Sudhakar said that masks and sanitisers will be distributed. “We have also requested people to donate masks and sanitisers in the districts. Whoever has the capacity to do so.  We are also providing them,” he added.   

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Why Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura zone is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus

TNM spoke to corporators and health officers who listed various possible reasons for the spike.

TNM Staff

PTI/Representation Photo

Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura, which had fewer COVID-19 cases in the city compared to other areas, has witnessed a huge spike in cases over the last one month. In the last 10 days alone, Mahadevapura reported a relatively higher number of cases compared to the rest of the zones in the city and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials say, that the cases began increasing as the testing increased. But they also say that it could be due to several reasons they have observed as a trend in the ward, but cannot conclusively determine the reason for the spike.  On Sunday, Mahadevapura ward reported 466 COVID-19 cases. In the last 10 days, there were 6,440 cases reported in the Mahadevapura. This means that 16% of the 40,178 patients in Bengaluru, who contracted the coronavirus during this period were from Mahadevapura zone.  “Ward number 150, Bellandur, which has been reporting more than 100 cases per day over the last 10 days, is also an area in Mahadevapura where the cases have increased,” said Bellandur corporator A Asha.  She maintained that the cases in Mahadevapura, especially in Bellandur, began increasing after private hospitals began treating COVID-19 patients. “In the ward where there are more than 100 cases per day, it is because the ambulance drivers, housekeeping staff at private hospitals, nurses and the support staff for COVID-19 case are testing positive. This is one of the reasons for the increasing number of cases,” A Asha said.  Another reason, she said, is that the Quarantine Watch squad have been coming across people violating home isolation and stepping outside their homes even after testing positive for the virus. Asha Suresh said that three days ago in Bellandur, a 27-year-old man from West Bengal, who was working in a private company in the city, was caught by the Quarantine Watch volunteers, when they found him outside a tea stall.  “He had tested positive five days ago. Two days later, he didn’t have any more symptoms as it was mild. He stepped outside to drink tea from a tea stall near his house and the volunteers reported it to BBMP, who transferred him to the COVID Care Centre,” corporator Asha said, while adding that the volunteers have come across several cases where ome isolation was violated and those who had tested positive were found to have stepped outside their homes.  “We don’t know if that is the reason for the spike but we know it is because we have increased testing, both RT-PCR and antigen. Like many other zones, for instance the South zone, which had so many cases, now has relatively lower cases. Mahadevapura is also peaking now,” said Mahadevapura Health Officer Dr Surendra. He also said that in the zone, people aged between 20 and 40 years were now not scared to step outside their homes and carry on with their day to day activities.  “This could also be one reason for the increase. Earlier even if there was one case in an office, there was a seal down. Now there are no seal downs and offices should take up responsibility of sanitising their buildings. Several call centres and offices have opened up, restaurants, pubs have opened. Since people have been moving around more, it could also be one reason,” Dr Surendra added. 

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Recoveries outnumber new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka

Coronavirus

Bengaluru registered 3,535 new cases, taking its total COVID-19 tally to 3,07,540.

TNM Staff

Image for representation: PTI

Recoveries outnumbered new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period in Karnataka on Sunday. The state reported 8,344 recoveries on a single day and 7,012 new COVID-19 cases as per Sunday’s bulletin."With 8,344 discharged from various hospitals in the last 24 hours, the state's recoveries rose to 6,45,825, while COVID-19 tally increased to 7,65,586, including 1,098,264 positive cases with 7,012 fresh cases on Saturday," said the state health bulletin on Sunday night. The state's death toll also rose to 10,428 with 51 deaths in the last 24 hours. Bengaluru Urban reported 25 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking its toll to 3,525 so far. Bengaluru registered 3,535 new cases, taking its COVID-19 tally to 3,07,540, including 64,435 active cases, while 2,39,579 recovered so far, with 3,845 discharged on Saturday. Of the 945 patients in intensive care units (ICU) in various hospitals across the state, 365 are in Bengaluru, followed by Ballari (67), Hassan (44), Chamarajanagar (43), Kolar (29), Kalaburagi (28) and Shivamogga (27). Of the 1,05,067 tests conducted in the 24-hour period, 21,876 were through rapid antigen detection and 83,191 were through RT-PCR. The state's positivity rate declined to 6.67% and case fertility rate to 0.72%. A total of 2,24,565 passengers have been screened at airports in the state. 5,49,952 primary contacts and 5,11,126 secondary contacts were traced over the last 24 hours. 1,06,235 individuals were put on home quarantine in the last seven days. A study by a private institute studying COVID-19 cases pattern projected that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Karnataka will reach 10 lakh by November 12. The researchers say that they arrived at these numbers based on the test positivity rate (TPR) which has been at around 11% for eight weeks now. (With IANS inputs)

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Narcotic drugs worth Rs 13 crore hidden in photo frames seized at Bengaluru airport

Crime

The consignment had already reached Singapore before it was sent back to Bengaluru last week.

TNM Staff

PTI : Image for representation

A consignment of 13.2 kg of pseudoephedrine, worth around Rs 13 crore, was found hidden in photo frames and albums in a package bound for Australia from the Bengaluru International Airport, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Sunday. It is one of the biggest seizures of the narcotic drug this year.  The consignment had already reached Singapore before it was sent back to Bengaluru last week, The Hindu reported. It was intercepted at Singapore's Changi airport. The origin of the order was in Chennai and it was being shipped by a private courier company.  An official in Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport said that they received information about smuggling of pseudoephedrine but the consignment was already in Singapore by then.  Pseudoephedrine is used in the production of several narcotic drugs including methamphetamine. It is notified as a controlled substance under the NDPS Act. Officials said that the consignment sent back from Singapore contained photo frames, albums, bangles and other personal items. The box was meant to look like personal items for a family member in Australia and the drugs were hidden in the consignment, Times of India reported.  On examining the items, officials saw that narcotic substances were hidden in the covers of the albums and photo frames which appeared to be thicker than usual. Pseudoephedrine is sold at Rs 1 crore per kg. According to DRI, 1.5 kg of the substance is enough to obtain a kg of methamphetamine and the substance had become the go-to precursor chemical in the manufacture of methamphetamine in Australia. The DRI said that this was one of the biggest seizures of the banned substance and it was worth more than Rs 13 crore in the international market. DRI said that over 500 kg of the precursor drug was seized despite the lockdown imposed over the outbreak of coronavirus cases this year. Earlier, spools of thread, bobbins and wedding invitations were used to conceal the drug. The seizure also comes three weeks after DRI officials seized 25 kg of pseudoephedrine in Chennai, busting an inter-state drug racket.   

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