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JAKARTA: More than a month ago, Lilis felt bad. I had a sudden headache and nausea.
Lilis, which is not her real name, initially thought she was simply tired and regarded the symptoms as signs that she was nearing her menstrual cycle.
But after three days, the 37-year-old housewife from Jakarta felt no better.
He visited several doctors. A computed tomography (CT) scan, X-ray, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test showed that she had meningitis and COVID-19.
Doctors assumed the meningitis was the result of the Sars-COV-2 virus, which they say is very rare but has been identified before in a patient in Wuhan.
Lilis was hospitalized in a private hospital in Jakarta, as COVID-19 referral hospitals were unavailable amid a surge in infections in the capital.
He received several medications, including dexamethasone, the steroid also received by US President Donald Trump.
After testing negative twice for COVID-19 and receiving 10 doses of antiviral drugs, Lilis was discharged.
A health worker in protective suit and patients exercise at the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium, which has been converted into a quarantine house amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bekasi, outside Jakarta , Indonesia, September 28, 2020. REUTERS / Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
However, the two weeks of hospitalization did not mean that he was 100% fit and healthy.
“I still have recurring headaches, and if I do certain activities for a long time, I will feel tired. I also feel short of breath,” Lilis told CNA.
For example, you have to lie down for two hours after doing housework for three hours before you feel better.
Her doctor told her, “This will persist for the next nine months.”
READ: Six months after COVID-19 hit Indonesia, questions persist about healthcare capacity and equipment
Other COVID-19 patients who tested negative told CNA that they still felt a bit unwell, even though they had been declared disease free.
Doctors noted that COVID-19 can have a long-lasting impact on the health of patients and cannot be taken lightly.
Lack of sense of smell
Another COVID-19 survivor, who only wanted to be known by her first name Ika, also told CNA that she is not completely well after testing negative for the disease on October 7.
Before testing positive, Ika had a fever for two days, a sore throat, and body aches. She also felt dizzy, lost her appetite, and suffered a loss of smell known as anosmia.
While she has now been declared COVID-19 free, her sense of smell has not yet returned to 100%. Sometimes you get tired easily if you have done certain activities like housework and taking care of your children.
“I am not as strong as I was before having COVID-19,” said the 31-year-old housewife.
FILE PHOTO: A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) collects a swab sample from a woman to be tested for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as the outbreak continues in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 29. September 2020. REUTERS / Willy Kurniawan
Her doctor told her that it is normal as she is in her post-viral infection period.
“I just have to keep maintaining and increasing my immunity in order to recover quickly. I can recover from 100 percent anosmia, but it takes time and the nose must continually smell all kinds of smells to get used to it, ”he said.
According to your doctor, the time it takes to fully recover varies from patient to patient.
Some can make a full recovery two weeks after testing negative, and there are others who need about a month, they told him.
While she is not sure how she contracted the disease, four people in her household of six tested positive.
READ: Indonesia aims to produce 70% of needed medical supplies as part of self-reliance efforts – Coordinating Minister
All have been declared COVID-19 free and are now on the road to a full recovery.
Your maid, who was the most affected by the symptoms, currently has the most complaints. She still suffers from a cough, tires easily, and occasionally feels dizzy.
DIFFICULTY BREATHING
A Tangerang resident who only wanted to be known as Joni, tested positive for COVID-19 in early September.
Before being screened for the disease, she showed some symptoms such as fever, chills, and a sore throat.
He believed that the virus could have originated from his neighbors who were diagnosed with COVID-19 a few days before him.
Since all the hospitals she contacted were full, Joni had to undergo home quarantine while showing symptoms.
READ: Premature reopening, meetings between the factors that led to COVID-19 clusters in Jakarta workplaces
When he was quarantined at home with his wife who also had the disease, three people in his family died from COVID-19.
Joni hadn’t seen them in a while and knowing what had happened was psychologically difficult for him.
After three PCR tests in a month, Joni tested negative in early October.
However, the 36-year-old businessman still complains of shortness of breath after trying simple sports activities. This is something I have never experienced before.
“I’ve tried sports a couple of times and got a bit out of breath. I felt like I was gasping for air, ”he said.
Joni noted that before COVID-19, she was in good shape and had no comorbidity.
An Indonesian nurse takes a blood sample from a woman during a massive rapid test amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Jakarta on April 23, 2020 (Photo: AFP / Adek Berry).
Fisheries and Marine Affairs Minister Edhy Prabowo, who tested positive for COVID-19 in early September, has a similar experience.
The 47-year-old man was guarded in a room of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a COVID-19 referral hospital in Jakarta. He was declared free of the disease at the end of September and returned to work earlier this month.
In a video posted on his Instagram account last week, he said: “I have not fully recovered yet. Frankly speaking, I still have to practice breathing.”
“That’s why I said: don’t get COVID-19. Especially (so severe) that it needs to be treated in an ICU ward. Why? Because afterwards, it’s not good. My lungs are still not so normal.”
The minister added: “If I walk a long time, I gasp. If I go upstairs, I gasp too. “
READ: Why Indonesia Has Asia’s Highest COVID-19 Death Rate
He said he was in good physical shape before contracting the disease, citing his ability to ride a bike for three hours or about 100 km without stopping.
Mr. Prabowo also said that he was able to play soccer, as well as two series of badminton in a row.
POSSIBLE PERMANENT DAMAGE TO BODY ORGANS: EXPERTS
What do medical experts know about the COVID-19 post-recovery process?
Pulmonologist Dwi Bambang said that COVID-19 can cause permanent damage to many organs.
In addition, he noted that there are different cases because not all COVID-19 patients have the same viral load and immunity.
“Sometimes patients still feel sick even though they have recovered or tested negative because there is damage to the alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs that regulate the oxygen you breathe and carbon dioxide that is expelled); there is fibrosis, “he explained. .
The time it takes to fully recover from COVID-19 depends on how damaged patients’ organs are and their nutritional intake, Bambang noted.
READ: ‘We are concerned’ Indonesian healthcare workers say as COVID-19 affects the medical system
READ: Indonesians Seek to Get Tested for COVID-19 As Count Increases; The government says it is unnecessary to test everyone
Internist and cardiologist Eka Ginanjar agreed.
“COVID-19 can cause damage to several important organs such as the lungs and the heart … It takes time to restore their functions ranging from one month to nine months, depending on the damage or the response of the body,” he said.
It revealed that a longer full recovery period is quite common, especially among those who suffered severely or were in critical condition.
But the doctor, who is also a member of the Indonesian Medical Association’s risk mitigation team, believes a full recovery is possible.
“Get enough rest, perform physiotherapy (light physical exercise), eat healthy foods, think positively, and if the doctor prescribes any medication, consume it according to medical prescription”, advises Ginanjar.
Indonesian medical staff prepare a patient room in the 2018 Asian Games Athlete Village, which was converted into a hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients in Jakarta on March 23, 2020 (Photo: Hafidz Mubarak A / Pool / AFP).
In addition, the director of the Indonesian Association of Pulmonologists, Agus Dwi Susanto, stated that being able to recover from COVID-19 is an achievement. But recovery sometimes also means the beginning of a long-term health problem, Susanto said.
“For some people, especially those who were kept in an ICU ward, lung, kidney and heart problems are what they need to treat,” he said.
He stressed that the lungs must receive additional attention because several patients will have chronic lung disease as a result of COVID-19 and will require additional treatment.
“The viral infection can cause persistent symptoms, such as coughing for a few weeks to several months or having persistent symptoms of shortness of breath, such as if you have wheezing or asthma,” he said.
He also recognized that recovered patients may experience a 20 to 30 percent decrease in their lung function, resulting in shortness of breath when walking.
“Patients with mild symptoms can recover more quickly and do not need extra oxygen, but they are generally weak and easily fatigued,” he noted.
Those interviewed by CNA said they wanted to send the message that everyone should always follow COVID-19 health protocols and stay home as long as possible.
Joni especially added, “Don’t be selfish. You may be fine, but you can be a carrier. And it can be deadly. “
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