Clinical complications seen in patients after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019: Experience from a COVID care center

Abstract

We have had recent experience that patients who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection are being readmitted with thromboembolic complications, and some have had sudden cardiac death. There is paucity of literature on such presentations after clinical and microbiological recovery. In the present case series, we present five such patients recently managed at our COVID-19 care facility. All the patients described were elderly (mean age: 66 years) with multiple comorbidities (mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score: 3.5). Two were initially managed at another COVID care facility and discharged. They were admitted at our center within one week of discharge. One patient who was managed at our center was discharged and then readmitted. The other two had recovered from their illness and were planned for discharge (mean duration of hospital stay in initial admission: 14.4 days). All presented within one week of clinical and microbiological recovery (mean: 4.2 days). All were on adequate anticoagulation during initial presentation. All these patients had raised D-dimer levels (three suffered sudden cardiac arrest, one had a confirmed pulmonary thromboembolism, and one had acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction). Thromboembolic complications should be considered an important differential diagnosis in all patients who present with any complication in the immediate follow-up period of recovery from COVID-19 disease. Repeat analysis of D-dimer levels at follow-up may be considered in those who recovered from severe disease. Extended period of anticoagulation and close follow-up may be considered in all patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing thromboembolic complications.