Recovering from Covid-19
Although most people recover from a SARS CoV-2 infection within a few weeks after becoming ill, some continue to struggle with complications for many months and require ongoing consultations with specialists. TU Zdrowie has launched the “Recovering from COVID-19” program, which guarantees recovering patients access to specialists, diagnosis of distressing symptoms and rehabilitation.
According to the World Health Organization, most infected people have mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. When they do, they recover and return to full activity after 2 to 6 weeks. However, some recovering patients, whether with severe, mild, or asymptomatic disease, may continue to experience disease-related symptoms for weeks or even months.[i]
The most commonly observed and reported complications following SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection are: [ii]
- respiratory problems: chronic cough, dyspnea, pulmonary dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary vascular disease, chronic fatigue;
- psychiatric complaints: mood changes, depression and anxiety;
- increased inflammation;
- neurological symptoms such as persistent smell and taste disorders, headaches and dizziness, cognitive dysfunction (memory and concentration), deregulation of sleep patterns;
- cardiovascular problems: myocardial damage, heart failure, arrhythmic complications, chest pain, hypertension, congestion, and venous thrombosis;
- abnormal liver test values - mostly affecting men and long-term hospitalized patients.
In the public space, the terms Long COVID and Post-COVID-19 have been coined. Long COVID refers to a situation in which symptoms of the disease last from 4 to 12 weeks after onset of illness. Post-COVID-19 refers to symptoms developing during or after COVID-19 that last more than 12 weeks and are not attributable to another cause. Studies on post-infection complications are underway both in Poland and abroad. They are to show if and how the SARS CoV-2 infection affects the long-term condition of the recovered patients - says Edyta Jacyna, medical consultant at TU Zdrowie.
Experts recommend that people who went through COVID-19 report for consultations with doctors who will refer them for diagnostic tests, if necessary. The decision about follow-up tests should depend on the age of the patients, the severity of the disease, comorbidities, but also on current clinical symptoms. [iii]
For the benefit of our insured who experienced the infection, we have launched the ‘Recovering from COVID-19’ health program. The program is addressed to people who were diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed with an RT-PCR test or who have a hospital care record with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Importantly, it can be used by people who enrolled in the insurance scheme after they had contracted the disease - says Teresa Domańska, Director of the Health Insurance Department at TU Zdrowie.
The prerequisite for starting diagnostics under the program is that a copy of a positive PCR performed within 3 months prior to enrollment in the program, or of a hospital discharge slip for COVID-19 hospitalization, if the hospital discharge occurred within 3 months prior to enrollment, is sent to TU Zdrowie during the insurance period.
The range of benefits offered to the insured is designed to screen for the most common complications, namely respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological conditions. Individuals recovering from COVID-19 may seek consultations with an internist or family physician, a pulmonologist or a cardiologist. In addition, they can count on the support of a psychiatrist or psychologist. Depending on the need, specialists may refer the patient for diagnostic blood and urine tests, cardiac function tests and diagnostic imaging. Additionally, insured persons hospitalized at COVID-19 are entitled to outpatient rehabilitation and consultation with a physiotherapist - adds Teresa Domańska.
TU Zdrowie offers two different variants of the “Recovering from COVID-19” Health Program:
- Recovering from Covid-19 as an add-on option, i.e. the option to extend the medical care provided under the Health Policy or TeleRefund Policy;
- Recovering from Covid-19 as a stand-alone medical package, i. e. the option to purchase the health program regardless of whether the Insured uses the Health Policy or the TeleRefund Policy.
In addition to the “Recovering from Covid-19” program, TU Zdrowie also offers the Insured the “My Oncologist,” “My Orthopedist,” “Treatment after Road Accident,” “Continuation of Hospital Treatment” schemes. “My Dietitian” is also a very important scheme - support in the treatment of diet-related diseases to assist in the treatment process of type 2 diabetes, gout, hypertension, and osteoporosis.
[i] https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/risk-comms-updates/update-36-long-term-symptoms.pdf?sfvrsn=5d3789a6_2
[ii] 1. Carfì A., Bernabei R., Landi F.,Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19. JAMA 2020; 324(6): 603–605.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Late sequelae of COVID-19. [dostęp online: 1.04.2021]
3. Fernandes P.M.P., Mariani A. W., Life post-COVID-19: symptoms and chronic complications. Sao Paulo Medical Journal 2021; 139(1): 1-2.
4. Fernández-Sarmiento J. i wsp., Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS): a narrative review and the viewpoint of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Intensive Care (SLACIP) Sepsis Committee. BMJ Paediatrics Open 2021; 5(1): e000894.
[iii] Badanie pilotażowe SILCOV-19 (The Silesian Complication of COVID-19) „Ocena częstości występowania, przebiegu klinicznego oraz leczenia kardiologicznych, neurologicznych i pulmonologicznych powikłań COVID-19
