Biochemical Changes After COVID-19: What Studies in India Show

 

Biochemical Changes After COVID-19: What Studies in India Show

COVID-19 infection affects not only the lungs but also produces long-term biochemical and metabolic changes in the body.
Indian hospitals and research centres (AIIMS, ICMR, NIMHANS, PGIMER, JIPMER) have reported several post-COVID biochemical abnormalities, even in people who had mild or moderate infection.

These changes help explain fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, muscle weakness, metabolic changes and organ damage seen after recovery.

🔥 1. Persistent Inflammation (“Cytokine Remnants”)

COVID triggers strong immune activity.
Even after recovery, many individuals show:

  • ↑ C-reactive protein (CRP)
  • ↑ IL-6
  • ↑ Ferritin
  • ↑ ESR

This “low-grade inflammation” is associated with:

  • fatigue
  • muscle pain
  • joint pain
  • post-COVID fever cycles
  • long COVID symptoms

Indian post-COVID clinics report CRP/Ferritin remaining high for weeks to months.

🫁 2. Oxidative Stress Markers

Severe COVID increases reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Post-COVID studies show:

  • ↓ Antioxidant enzymes (SOD, Catalase, Glutathione)
  • ↑ Lipid peroxidation
  • ↑ Oxidative damage to proteins and membranes

This contributes to:

  • poor immunity
  • delayed healing
  • neurological symptoms
  • persistent tiredness

🧬 3. Changes in Liver Function Tests (LFT)

Many recovered patients in India show altered LFTs for months:

  • ↑ SGPT (ALT)
  • ↑ SGOT (AST)
  • ↑ GGT
  • Mild hyperbilirubinemia

Causes include:
viral inflammation, medicines (remdesivir, steroids), and metabolic stress.

💉 4. Changes in Kidney Markers

Post-COVID cases—especially with ICU history—show:

  • ↑ Creatinine
  • ↑ Urea
  • ↑ Microalbuminuria
  • Electrolyte imbalance (Na⁺, K⁺)

These changes reflect post-viral nephropathy and dehydration effects.

❤️ 5. Cardiac-Related Biochemical Changes

Even mild COVID can leave cardiac biochemical signatures:

  • ↑ D-dimer
  • ↑ Troponin-I
  • ↑ NT-proBNP

High D-dimer levels (reported commonly in India) indicate:
persistent clotting tendency → risk of microthrombi.

🍽️ 6. Metabolic Changes (Very Common in India)

COVID infection + steroid therapy has contributed to:

📌 In Diabetic & Pre-diabetic Patients:

  • Sudden ↑ blood glucose
  • ↑ HbA1c levels
  • Post-COVID insulin resistance
  • Ketosis in some cases

📌 In Non-Diabetics:

  • Stress hyperglycemia
  • Temporary insulin resistance

This explains the rise of newly diagnosed diabetes after COVID in India.

🧠 7. Neurological & Brain Biochemistry Changes

Because COVID affects the olfactory nerve, neurons and glial cells, post-COVID biochemical changes include:

  • Altered neurotransmitters
  • Reduced serotonin & dopamine levels
  • Disturbed energy metabolism in neurons (↓ ATP)
  • Microglial activation → inflammation

Resulting symptoms:

  • brain fog
  • memory loss
  • sleep disturbance
  • mood changes

🫁 8. Vitamin & Mineral Imbalance

Indian nutrition studies show common deficiencies after COVID:

  • ↓ Vitamin D
  • ↓ Vitamin B12
  • ↓ Zinc
  • ↓ Selenium
  • ↓ Magnesium

These deficiencies worsen:

  • immunity
  • fatigue
  • muscle pain
  • mood disorders

🩸 9. Coagulation Abnormalities (Blood-Clot Tendency)

Even after recovery, many patients show:

  • ↑ D-dimer
  • ↑ Fibrinogen
  • Increased platelet activation

This is why post-COVID thrombotic events (clots) were common in India during 2021–2023.

 

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