Are vitamin IV drips helpful for Covid-19 recovery?

The third wave of coronavirus has been absolutely unreal, to say the least. A whole lot of people have been hit by Omicron, the recent Covid-19 variant. While most people have recovered quickly and haven’t witnessed severe after-effects, there are others who have had long-term health issues, even after their symptoms diminished. Can the new-age IV vitamin drips help?

Over the past few years, global celebrities such as Rihanna, Kendall Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, have popularised the IV vitamin therapy through social media, and made it a wellness fad.

In fact, according to a Daily Mail article, IV drip clinics in Britain, were charging thousands for long Covid ‘treatments’. This was being done with the claim of boosting immunity among people, mood and detoxification of the body.

But is there an evidence that it can work? Before we get to that, let us first understand certain signs and symptoms of long Covid.

What are the signs of long Covid?

According to the National Health Service portal, the symptoms include:

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* Extreme tiredness
* Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or chest pain
* Brain fog
* Changes in taste and smell
* Joint pain

As per a large study conducted by the University College London, 200 symptoms have been identified, affecting 10 systems. Some of these include hallucinations, insomnia, hearing and vision issues, short-term memory loss, speech, and language issues, as well as gastrointestinal problems. There are some who may also have changes in their periods, and have skin conditions.

Does long Covid happen to children too?

A team of researchers at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, investigated more than 200,000 positive cases among 11 to 17-year-olds in March 2020. The results reveal that 4,000 and 32,000 of those were still experiencing symptoms 15 weeks later. This also means that children can be susceptible to long Covid.

Do vitamin IV drips help recovery from long Covid?

Vitamin IV drips help to deliver essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids directly into the bloodstream. And this is said to work wonders for health, wellness, and healing.

Dr Shivanshu Raj Goyal, Consultant, respiratory/ pulmonology and sleep medicine, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, tells HealthShots, “There has been no evidence that vitamin IV drips help for long Covid. It is just that during recovery from Covid, you need an adequate mix of good nutrition, exercise, or rehabilitation along with psychological support,” he adds.

Multivitamins, in case needed, can easily be given in oral formulations but IV drips are really not warranted for the same.

As of now, there is really no reason to believe that this solution works!