Medical experts underlined that people are expected to experience post-Covid fatigue after recovering from the illness as well as completing 10-day isolation period.

While a majority of patients suffer mild and brief symptoms, other patients have reported experiencing persistent fatigue, pain, and a lingering cough.

Speaking with the media, UAE doctors have explained that the phenomenon is natural among recovered COVID-19 patients.

Dr Sandeep Pargi, a specialist in respiratory medicine at Aster Hospital, Mankhool, said that it is natural to experience post-Covid fatigue. A large number of individuals have complaint about breathlessness and fatigue even months after recovering from the disease. This overwhelming phenomenon is also called post-Covid fatigue syndrome, he explained.

“The vast majority who have COVID-19 are able to recover completely within a few weeks. However, certain individuals - even thosw with mild symptoms - keep on experiencing symptoms after their initial recovery,” he added.

What is post-Covid fatigue syndrome?

Dr Mahshan Kalpaka Mohammed, a specialist pulmonologist at Burjeel Royal Hospital, Al Ain, noted that any viral infection hampers the immune system and the expected outcome is fatiguing.

"Immunity is crucial in any infection, especially in COVID-19. As a result, post-Covid fatigue is prevalent, depending on the severity of the condition," he said.

Dr Mohammed further said that when an infection progresses from moderate to severe, the degree of post-infection healing can also be affected. As a result, patients can experience post-Covid tiredness and stress.

Dr Pargi pointed out that the syndrome occurs in patients due to body inflammation and brain stress, which can further lead to pro-inflammatory cytokines.

A number of doctors highlighted that post-Covid fatigue has emerged as a common complaint among patients during follow-up appointments in the hospital’s outpatient department. The syndrome is highly visible among both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, including vaccinated ones.

Dr Pargi explained that the syndrome is found mainly in symptomatic patients, while in the asymptomatic patients, it is mainly due to anxiety, phobia and depression linked with the illness.

Dr Brijesh Bhardwaj, head of department and specialist internal medicine at the NMC Royal Hospital, DIP, Dubai, said that the syndrome is also being observed in those who have not yet contracted COVID-19. People are complaint of fatigue due to using face masks for two years

“Since we’ve been using masks for so long, we are not getting exposure to sub-clinical infection and antigens. Hence, there is a lack of immunity against normal day to day viral infections. Moreover, as Covid pneumonia involves lungs, it affects the exercise tolerance and oxygenation," he added.

What are the symptoms of the syndrome?

Noting that lungs are the most commonly affected organ due to COVID-19, exertional dyspnoea, often known as inflammation, is a significant part of the illness process. Therefore, post-Covid airway inflammatory cough is quite common.

Some of the common symptoms of post-Covid fatigue are:

· Fatigue

· Muscle weakness

· Depression

· Sleep disturbances

· Loss of smell or taste

· Myalgia and muscular aches

· Headache or foggy brain

Who can feel the symptoms?

It is significantly visible in senior citizens and people with severe medical conditions. However, even the young and healthy people can feel the impact of COVID for weeks to months after infection, said Dr Mohammed.

How to recover from post-Covid fatigue?

· Ensure gradual return to normalcy

· Maintain a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables

· Be gentle on your gut. Curtail the consumption of junk food and alcohol

· Stress management is important both during and after the sickness

· Consume fod high in nutrients, as well as a multivitamin

· Exercising is essential. Patients should do slow cardiorespiratory workouts regularly

· Vitamin C, also known as ascorbyl acid, is crucial for boosting immunity. Antioxidants are another critical component to include in diet

· Breathing exercises and diaphragm strengthening for the elderly, mild to severe cases, are important

What can be done to improve mental health after recovering from COVID-19?

· Meet the doctor post-Covid quarantine or discharge from hospital

· Conduct a proper post-COVID checkup

· Get the answers of all your queries by the doctor

· Get back to normal routine

· Communicate with family and friends about any concerns

· Seek doctors help, including a psychologist, if needed