'Covid causing intestinal injuries, stomach ulcers'

KOLKATA: A report prepared by experts of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital based on the findings of the first three pathological postmortem of Covid victims revealed that the viral infection had been causing intestinal injuries, stomach ulcers and internal bleeding.

The 3-member medical team of the RG Kar Medical College that had carried out the postmortem found patches on the intestine and also noticed severe damages in the kidneys. RG Kar Medical College already submitted reports of three pathological autopsies to the Health department. The first pathological postmortem report submitted earlier this month reflected observations that lungs and kidneys were the primary organs that were badly damaged due to Covid.

Hypoxia is the main cause of deaths as determined by the three-member team of doctors performing the postmortem. The doctors said lungs and kidneys were badly damaged in all the cases. Even the doctors also spotted bleeding inside the body and ulcers in the stomach and patches.

There were many common factors which aggravated the ailments but the cause of death was not similar in all the cases. Lungs which remain covered with alveolar membranes are damaged by the disease. As a result, there has been an increased amount of inflow of liquid that gets entered into alveolar causing hindrance for oxygen to enter lungs and also to the body. Damage in kidneys fails to drive toxin out as a result it continues to get deposited, complicating the situation.

The pathological autopsy was carried out to find out how the infection transmitted from one organ to another and how it caused damages.

Sources said the team would soon submit another pathological autopsies reports to the Swasthya Bhawan. The team is headed by Prof (Dr) Somnath Das, Head of the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.