Chinese health authorities have officially included damage to a number of internal organs as among the potential effects of Covid-19 , expanding insurance coverage for patients as the long-term toll of the disease emerges. In guidelines issued on Thursday, the National Health Commission said some recovered Covid-19 patients would require treatment for lung and heart damage, for movement problems from muscle loss, as well as for psychological disorders. In addition to informing health workers about the potential long-term treatment needs of the patients, the authorities have classified these conditions as chronic diseases, allowing residents to claim for medical expenses under government-run medical insurance schemes. “As the number of Covid-19 patients discharged from hospital increases, the rehabilitation needs have become prominent,” the commission said in the guidelines. Coronavirus pandemic may bring ‘major mental health crisis’, UN says Understanding is growing of the effects of Sars-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, on the organs of patients – even after they apparently recover. While most patients, especially those with mild and moderate symptoms, can recover without long-term consequences to their health, studies indicate that those with severe symptoms can have organ damage and require a much longer time for rehabilitation. The commission said some Covid-19 patients might also develop heart problems such as angina and arrhythmia – conditions that could result directly from the virus or arise after a patient has been bedridden for a long time. The guidelines also list potential mental health problems resulting from Covid-19, including depression, insomnia, eating disorders and various changes in cognitive functions. Other problems identified in the guidelines include muscle and limb-function loss. Coronavirus: call for Hong Kong Covid-19 survivors to donate plasma, which tests show kills infection But kidney damage was not among the conditions named, despite a number of studies citing it as a potential long-term consequence. According to a study published in the journal Kidney International on Wednesday, one-third of 5,449 Covid-19 patients surveyed by researchers at Northwell Health, the biggest health provider in New York state, developed acute kidney failure. Lead researcher Kenar Jhaveri, associate chief of nephrology at Hofstra/Northwell in Great Neck, New York, told Reuters that 14.3 per cent of those with kidney failure required dialysis. There have also been reports of the coronavirus attacking the skin, the central nervous system and blood vessels, resulting in clogging and strokes. In addition, doctors have been alarmed by a surge of cases of an inflammatory condition known as Kawasaki disease among children , with researchers looking into a possible link with Covid-19. These conditions are not included in the Chinese guidelines. More than 78,000 coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospital in China, according to official figures.
