Fatigue, dyspnea and loss of appetite in post-COVID patients hampers nutritional intake.
Nutrition is a vital component in the recovery of a COVID-19 patient while diet guidelines need to be customized upon assessment of physical activity, disease-related symptoms and other co-morbidities.
“Patients recovering from COVID-19 experience the clinical symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea (shortness of breath) and loss of appetite which make it difficult to eat well, leading to several nutritional deficiencies. Hence, a personalized plan for diet, nutrition and fluid intake needs to be created in consultation with an expert”, advised Ms. Ruba El Hourani, Head Dietician at RAK Hospital. She was speaking from her experience of treating post-COVID patients who showed a clear shift in diet pattern, finding it difficult to eat normally.
Dr. Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director of RAK Hospital said: “The majority of the patients who joined RAK Hospital’s first-of-its-kind ‘Covid-19 Rehabilitation Programme’ were suffering from loss of appetite while some had difficulty swallowing. In few cases, it was linked to the mental stresses and sleep disturbances as anxiety in COVID patients can cause such symptoms. Our initiative is aimed at providing physical, cognitive, dietary and psychological support to COVID patients in their recovery or post-recovery phase in a structured and holistic way”.
Published: uaenews4u.com | October 21, 2020
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