The Chief Executive Officer of Noble Trust Hospital, Dr George Donkor has warned of severe lung problems in patients who survive the Covid-19 virus infection in some years to come.
The multiple award-winning doctor said the approach currently being used to treat patients is not holistic.
Dr Donkor who spoke to online portal, Rainbowradioonline.com, said the testing of the virus alone isn’t enough because that only focuses on the surface antigens of the virus.
He said the current regime only examines the chemicals being emitted by the virus but fails to check the lungs and the chest after treatment.
He noted that the virus, after treatment, stays in the lungs hence testing the blood alone will not reveal other complications.
He is therefore advising that an examination of the lungs, through a pictorial diagnosis such as x-ray, CT Scan, and MRI of the chest are done to complete current testing.
According to Dr Donkor, this will help reveal if the lungs have suffered any form of inflammation.
“The x-ray will be able to tell if the lungs have some form of inflammation but it seems people are focusing on only the blood test and not the lungs. If we do not do proper diagnosis and follow-up treatment, a time will where we will have a chunk of people suffering from lung-related diseases which will cause a lot of havoc in our health delivery system. This is what I want Ghanaians to understand. If you recover from the coronavirus, you have to regularly have an examination of your lungs and the chest to ensure they are not infected. If they are infected or have scar tissues building up within, they would cause problems. With lung problems, you will suffer severe breath issues, fatigue, and other serious health implications.”
He advised that patients who have recovered from the coronavirus go for an examination of the lungs and chest every six months.
