BackgroundCOVID-19 has now lasted for more than two years as a pandemic and has had enduring effects on the health of people as the post-COVID syndrome. Recent literature has shown the long-term effects of COVID-19 on various organ systems, including but not limited to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal systems. Methods and objectivesWe aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-acute COVID symptoms in a tertiary care center in northern India; observe the effects of the demographic profile of age, BMI, gender, and presence of comorbidities on the persistence of post-COVID syndrome, and explore any correlation between the severity of COVID-19 disease and the persistence of post-COVID symptoms. We designed a survey containing structured questions evaluating post-COVID symptoms beyond three weeks (post-acute COVID phase), six weeks (post-COVID phase), and 12 weeks of acute illness. It was administered online. ResultsPrevalence of post-COVID symptoms both after three and six weeks was reported to be 16.67% and 7.37%, respectively. The most common symptoms to persist were musculoskeletal symptoms (fatigue), followed by upper respiratory symptoms. Disease severity (p<0.05), BMI (p<0.05), and comorbidities were seen to affect post-COVID symptoms significantly, whereas gender and age of the patient had no significant effect. Disease severity significantly affected the persistence of post-COVID symptoms up to 12 weeks; however, this effect does not hold true in long COVID haulers. Also, the risk of developing persistent post-acute COVID symptoms was more in moderate to severe disease than in mild disease. ConclusionThe pandemic might be close to over, but it is not out of our lives yet, and the persistence of post-COVID symptoms is exigent.

Postoperative hypoxia is a challenge for surgeons. With the advent of better anesthesia and minimal access surgical techniques, the incidence of postoperative hypoxia in elective cases has decreased. However, the incidence in life-saving emergency procedures still poses a possible threat, and cases seem under-reported. We report a series of five cases of postoperative hypoxia after laparotomy. These cases comprise mesenteric laceration, proximal jejunal perforation, perforated duodenal ulcer, abdominal tuberculosis, and fall from height. Despite different etiologies, they landed up with the complication of postoperative hypoxia, which was attributable to the type of procedure they underwent and not the indication of the procedure itself. Thus, they form an interesting collection of post-laparotomy hypoxia cases. We present them with a compilation of probable causes of postoperative hypoxia in such cases.Postoperative hypoxia presents a diagnostic challenge and requires timely suspicion, prompt intervention to eliminate the cause, and good postoperative care. The major causes include incomplete lung re-expansion, pain-induced restriction in chest-wall/diaphragm mobility, prolonged surgery, a complication of preexisting lung disease, residual effects of some drugs, and iatrogenic causes. We, therefore, recommend the use of postoperative oxygen support and diligent monitoring of vitals in all cases of laparotomy, allowing prompt and timely patient management. Future studies are warranted to explore the prevalence and possible causes of post-laparotomy hypoxia.