NEW DELHI: A government panel is preparing guidelines on addressing complications that arise in some people after they recover from Covid-19, a senior health ministry official said.

The group is collecting data of cured Covid-19 patients from central government hospitals and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital and other states, and of those who have been discharged and readmitted for additional treatment of certain complications.

“There is a technical committee in the ministry of health which is headed by Director General Health Services. It consists of domain knowledge experts from different city government hospitals, AIIMS Delhi, WHO India office and people outside the government,” said health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

The need for guidelines has arisen because Covid-19 patients can face challenges in full recovery after being discharged from hospital. As reported by ET earlier, almost 5% of the patients return for post-Covid-19 care as they continue to feel shortness of breath, weakness and mental fogginess, among other symptoms, according to doctors.

“The guidance document is on the possible complications that may arise and how to address those complications,” Bhushan said.

Last week, home minister Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi complaining of fatigue and body ache, days after being discharged from Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital where he was treated for Covid-19. Although Shah tested negative for the coronavirus, AIIMS doctors said he had body ache for a few days. Shah’s case is not unusual, doctors said.

“There are about 4-5% people who are coming back with symptoms like breathlessness and weakness,” said a senior AIIMS doctor who did not wish to be identified.

Other than physical symptoms, some patients confront neurological, cognitive and emotional issues after returning home. While there are no India-specific figures available for instances of post-Covid-19 complications, Niti Aayog member VK Paul had earlier said, “The medical fraternity is responding to this. We should be careful.”

Paul said the scientific and medical community is keeping an eye on post-recovery symptoms. So far, he said, it has been seen that the virus results in respiratory symptoms, pulmonary fibrosis and neurological reactions in children.