Why is there no focus on the fact that surviving bad COVID can come with a horrible aftermath?

Floraflower3 · 2021-10-03T19:35:01+00:00

I’m a healthcare professional in a district general hospital working on a COVID ward. This isn’t meant to be a scare thread but I’m just interested in why the below is never really mentioned in the aftermath of ending up with covid requiring hospitalisation. Most people get treated with steroids which have their own host of side effects. A lot of people are needing to go home on insulin when they weren’t on it before to help control their hyperglycaemia. I don’t know how many people successfully wean off insulin as I don’t follow up in the community. You have the intensive physio to try to get back to normal. Some people get permanent lung damage. Others get blood clots of which you’ll need 3 months treatment minimum. There’s people who will need long term rehab post intubation as they are in no functional state (progress with one patient was them being able to raise their arms.) There’s the new treatments (I do find it ironic how anti-vaxxers will accept these) that may leave you immunocompromised for months. How come these things are never really talked about? These people have survived COVID but with potentially long term ramifications?

MichelleScarn · 03/10/2021 20:36

Long Covid?

Flossieskeeper · 03/10/2021 20:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Floraflower3 · 03/10/2021 20:48

@MichelleScarn

Long Covid?

I wouldn’t call this long covid though? I thought long covid was for those who contracted the virus and then go on to suffer long term symptoms?

Or are the results of hospital treatment lumped in with long covid (I don’t actually know)?

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CrunchyCarrot · 03/10/2021 20:50

@Flossieskeeper

It’s not just covid - it’s all illnesses. People only want to hear the miraculous recovery . No one wants to contemplate how seriously disabled illness and trauma can leave people.

It’s been like this forever.

This. Any serious illness that puts you in ICU is liable to end up having a long and difficult recovery afterwards, and maybe never a complete recovery. I think Covid has made us more aware of this, but it's not limited to Covid.

Original poster

Floraflower3 · 03/10/2021 20:51

Working in a hospital has really made me appreciate good health. It’s small things like I’ve seen a patient lose digits due to the vasoconstrictors used in ICU or pressure ulcers that develop (I know those are unacceptable but it does happen). Small price to pay for being alive I guess.

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TheKeatingFive · 03/10/2021 20:51

It’s not just covid - it’s all illnesses.

Basically this

BitterTits · 03/10/2021 20:54

Well I imagine because there are plenty of us who have to take big risks every day for work and if the extent of that risk were acknowledged, there would be huge liabilities. I'm PCR testing as a close contact every week, sharing a classroom with positive cases and their close contacts day in, day out. I don't really want to think about the worst case scenario as I can't afford not to do my job.

staffieslobber · 03/10/2021 20:56

I think a lot of people believe "that which does not kill you makes you stronger" whereas in reality that which does not kill you can can have a devastating effect on your life for years to come

FlorenceWintle · 03/10/2021 20:57

But what difference would it make if it were ‘talked about’? What would we do differently? The anti-vaxxers still wouldn’t vax, some people would follow the rules and some wouldn’t…ad nauseum

heldinadream · 03/10/2021 20:59

I think there was more emphasis on this way back nearer the beginning, I remember seeing on TV some people who'd come home from hospital, did NOT have long covid but were very debilitated and really disabled for some time. Thanks for flagging it up OP,Ii think you're right it's not clear to people this is a whole other category of after-effects that people (anti-vaxxer in my family, I'm looking at you) could do with being aware of.

Flossieskeeper · 03/10/2021 21:08

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Bobholll · 03/10/2021 22:13

Why would you talk about it? I’m aware being seriously ill & in ICU for any illness will be a long & complicated recovery in most cases. I’m certainly not blinkered to think you skip out. But covid isn’t unusual in this. And most people don’t end up in ICU from covid.

It’s human nature to look at the positives I think. I certainly take the view that life is short, previous & for living. There is no point dwelling on the bad things that might happen or all the possible awful things that could come your way. You’d lose your mind. I know there are some god awful things out there & I support charities, I used to volunteer in a hospital pre-children, I look after those I know going through difficult times.. I think that’s all you can do!

tiddlysquat · 03/10/2021 22:16

I agree it's a general post illness thing.

I have some issues after cancer treatment, they don't particularly bother me, I've adjusted.

If you get a life threatening illness and survive, hopefully that's how you feel? I've never been that upset about the limitations I now have .

Kendodd · 03/10/2021 22:19

Sorry, a side question if you don't mind.
What percentage of hospital patients are unvaccinated? If you know vaccination status and can estimate a percentage.

Original poster

Floraflower3 · 03/10/2021 22:29

@Bobholll

Why would you talk about it? I’m aware being seriously ill & in ICU for any illness will be a long & complicated recovery in most cases. I’m certainly not blinkered to think you skip out. But covid isn’t unusual in this. And most people don’t end up in ICU from covid.

It’s human nature to look at the positives I think. I certainly take the view that life is short, previous & for living. There is no point dwelling on the bad things that might happen or all the possible awful things that could come your way. You’d lose your mind. I know there are some god awful things out there & I support charities, I used to volunteer in a hospital pre-children, I look after those I know going through difficult times.. I think that’s all you can do!

The majority of my patients don’t go to ICU thankfully, so these general effects are happening to a lot of patients, not a small subset of them. I guess maybe if it was more common knowledge, people may make different choices?

I do agree about human nature and looking for the positives. For me, I’m quite risk averse (although optimistic generally lol) but I would rather be prepared with this info and adjust my choices as appropriate.

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Original poster

Floraflower3 · 03/10/2021 22:31

@Kendodd

Sorry, a side question if you don't mind. What percentage of hospital patients are unvaccinated? If you know vaccination status and can estimate a percentage.

We determine vaccination status for all covid patients. The majority (on my ward) are unvaccinated, I would say around 90%.

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WingingItSince1973 · 03/10/2021 22:39

My neighbour was hospitalised with covid back in Jan, same time as I had a mild version. He was on icu and nearly dies. He was in hospital for nearly 3 months. He had to learn to walk again and many other serious health issues since. I saw him last week with his walking frame looking old and frail trying to do a lap of the block with his wife. This was a healthy middle age man walking everyday, gardening etc. It's not just his health that he is still struggling with its the mental scars too. It seems he has ptsd from what he went through in hospital and then when he was moved to a local hospital for rehabilitation. What he described his body went through was horrific. A man in the next bed to him had a breakdown and ripped all his tubes etc out, sadly passed away. On the other side myself and lots and lots of people I know have had such a mild case its hardly affected our future health. Its a very very weird and deceptive illness.