REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE
Including daily morning walk, yoga asanas, Pranayam, immunity boosters like Chyawanaprash, Haldi-doodh, geloy powder, ashwagandha, daily gargling, steam inhaling and soluble balanced diets are essential for people who have coronavirus or have recovered from it, the health ministry has advised in new COVID care guidelines. However, the Health Ministry's COVID-care advisory also urges to take AYUSH medicines only when prescribed by a registered doctor. Daily gargling is also hugely beneficial in case of people with a sore throat.
POST-COVID FOLLOW UP PROTOCOL
1. At Individual Level
- Continue COVID appropriate behaviour (use of mask, hand and respiratory hygiene, physical distancing)
- Drink adequate amount of warm water (if not contra-indicated)
- Take immunity promoting AYUSH medicine - To be practied and prescribed by a qualified practitioner of AYUSH.
- If health permits, regular household work to be done. Professional work to be resumed in graded manner.
- Mild/moderate exercise
- Daily practice of Yogasana, Pranayama and meditation, as much as health permits or as prescribed.
- Breathing exercises as prescribed by treating physician.
- Daily morning or evening walk at a comfortable pace as tolerated. - Balanced nutritious diet, preferably easy to digest freshly cooked soft diet.
- Have adequate sleep and rest.
- Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol.
- Take regular medications as advised for COVID and also for managing comorbidites, if any. Doctor to be always informed about all medicines that the individual is taking (allopathic/AYUSH) so as to avoid prescription interaction.
- Self-health monitoring at home - temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar (especially, if diabetic), pulse oximetry etc (if medically advised).
- If there is persistent dry cough/sore throat, do saline gargles and take steam inhalation. The addition of herbs/spices for gargling steam inhalation. Cought medications should be taken on advice of medical doctor or qualified practitioner of Ayush.
- Look for early warning signs like high-grade fever, breathlessness, Sp02 <95%, unexplained chest pain, new onset of confusion, focal weakness.
2. At Community Level
- Recovered individuals to share their positive experiences with their friends and relatives using social media, community leaders, opinion leaders, religious leaders for creating awareness, dispelling myths and stigma.
- Take support of community based self-help groups, civil society organizations, and qualified professionals for recovery and rehabilitation process (medical, social, occupational, livelihood)
- Seek psycho-social support from peers, community health workers, counsellor. If required seek mental health support service.
- Participate in group sessions of Yoga, Meditation etc. while taking all due precautions like physical distancing.
3. In healthcare facility setting
- The first follow-up visit (physical/telephonic) should be within 7 days after discharge, preferably at the hospital where he/she underwent treatment.
- Subsequent treatment/follow up visits may be with the nearest qualified allopathic/AYUSH practitioner/medical facility of other systems of medicine.
- Poly-therapy is to be avoided due to potential for unknown drug-drug interaction, which may lead to Serious Adverse Events (SAE) or Adverse Effects (AE).
- The patients who had undergone home isolation, if they complain of persisting symptoms, will visit the nearest health facility.
- Severe cases requiring critical care support will require more stringent follow-up.
AYUSH medicine: Details of medicines and their dosage
- Immunity promoting AYUSH medicine (to be prescribed only by practioners permitted under law for prescribing the medicine/therapy under specific stream)
- Ayush Kwath (150 ml; 1 cup) daily, Samshamani vati twice a day 500 mg (1 gm per day) or Giloy powder 1 -3 grams with luke warm water for 15 days, Ashwagandha 500 mg twice a day (1 gm per day) or Ashwagandha powder 1-3 grams twice daily for 15 days and Amla fruit one daily/Amla powder 1-3 grams once daily.
- Mulethi powder (in case of dry cough) 1- 3 gram with lukewarm water twice daily
- Warm Milk with ½ teaspoonful Haldi in (morning/evening)
- Gargling with turmeric and salt
- Chyawanprash 1 teaspoonful (5 mg) once daily in morning (as per directions from Vaidya)
- It is also suggested by the Ministry of AYUSH that the use of Chyawanprash in the morning (1 teaspoonful) with luke warm water/milk is highly recommended (under the direction of Registered Ayurveda physician) as in the clinical practice Chyawanprash is believed to be effective in post-recovery period.
