Survivors of coronavirus may suffer severe lung damage - Doctor

The Chief Executive Officer of Noble Trust Hospital, Dr. George Donkor has warned of severe lung problems in surviving COVID-19 patients in some years to come.

The multiple award-winning doctor said the approach currently being used to treat patients is not holistic.

Speaking to Rainbowradioonline.com, he said the testing of the virus alone is not enough because the health professionals are only focusing on the surface antigens of the virus.

He said health professionals are only examining the chemicals being emitted by the virus and after treatment, fail to check the lungs and the chest.

He noted that the virus after treatment stays in the lungs but the testing of the blood alone will not reveal this.

He is therefore advising that an examination of the lungs through a pictorial diagnosis such as X-ray, CT Scan, and MRI of the chest is done.

According to Dr. Donkor, this will help reveal if the lungs have suffered any form of inflammation.

“The x-ray will be able to tell if the lungs have some form of inflammation but it seems people are focusing on only the blood test and not the lungs. If we do not do proper diagnosis and follow-up treatment, a time will where we will have a chunk of people suffering from lung-related diseases which will cause a lot of havoc in our health delivery system. This is what I want Ghanaians to understand. If you recover from the coronavirus, you have to regularly have an examination of your lungs and the chest to ensure they are not infected. If they are infected or have scar tissues building up within, they would cause problems. With lung problems, you will suffer severe breath issues, fatigue, and other serious health implications.”

He said for every six months, patients who have recovered from the coronavirus should go for the examination of the lungs and chest.