Wait 6 weeks: ICMR guidelines for surgery after Covid-19 infection

<p>Can non-urgent surgeries be undertaken after recovering from the novel coronavirus infection? Here&rsquo;s what experts from the&nbsp;Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have to say.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>ICMR&rsquo;s Covid-19 task force has advised&nbsp;people&nbsp;to wait at least six weeks after complete recovery&nbsp;from Covid-19&nbsp;before undergoing any&nbsp;elective&nbsp;surgeries.&nbsp;Waiting six weeks for non-urgent procedures is important to ensure faster healing and convalescence post-surgery.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;the discretion to perform urgent and necessary procedures is entirely dependent on your health provider.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the ICMR, you must wait 102 days for re-examination&nbsp;after recovering from the virus. The reason for this has been attributed to the presence of a non-viable dead-virus particle that remains in the body for some time. These virus residues cannot spread disease but can give a false-positive result.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Experts believe that the effect of surgery on patients recovering from the virus may vary and will depend on their health. Shortness of breath, heart pain and fatigue are common in such patients and can be seen up to 60 days after recovery.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As per the expert team,&nbsp;key surgeries can be done in emergencies but with proper precautions.&nbsp;It is important to undergo a thorough preoperative evaluation,&nbsp;scheduled&nbsp;well ahead of the surgery, with a special focus on lung function&nbsp;and&nbsp;cardiopulmonary systems.</p>