There are numerous side-effects of Covid-19 reported worldwide. A new study has claimed that people infected with coronavirus are more likely to develop diabetes or hypertension after a few months. According to Members of Discovery Health Ltd, South Africa’s biggest health insurer, stated that people who have documented Covid-19 infection are more likely to be hospitalised or develop two chronic diseases in the months after their illness.
Besides, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also surveyed 7,000 Discovery Health members who recovered from acute Covid-19 and observed multiple things:
- A 1.38-fold higher risk of developing diabetes within two to 12 months of recovering from Covid-19
- A 1.11-fold higher risk of developing hypertension in that period
- A 2.8-fold higher hospital admission risk in the first month after recovering from an acute Covid-19 infection and a 1.5 times higher risk two to 12 months after recovery
- 31% of those who recovered from Covid-19 experienced headaches, 14% experienced problems sleeping and shortness of breath, 12% reported dizziness, 11% a lack of concentration and 10% muscle and joint pain
- 43% reported difficulties in performing activities necessary for daily living. 30% had problems concentrating, 20% walking, 16% had problems with their sight and difficulties with hearing, communicating and self-care were also reported
Preliminary findings show that the Covid-19 shot produced by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE gives protection against severe disease from the recently discovered strains.
South Africa has the highest number of recorded Covid-19 cases and deaths in Africa. While more than 100,000 people have officially died of the disease, excess death data, a measure of mortality against a historical average, shows that three times as many people may have perished from the virus.
