Covid caused serious lung damage to Lembergs

Aivars Lembergs has tested negative for Covid-19, but it has been revealed that the virus seriously damaged one-third of his lungs during his illness, Neatkarīgā has learned from A. Lembergs' relatives.

Last week, after the negative Covid-19 test, doctors at the Prison Hospital in Olaine continued to examine A. Lembergs' health. Although the Prison Hospital X-ray did not reveal anything suspicious in the lungs, the expected recovery has not been gone as well as hoped.

On Friday, A. Lembergs was taken to Dobele City Hospital for a CT scan of the lungs, a service that was not available in Olaine. The examination in Dobele revealed that the Covid-19 virus had damaged one-third of A. Lembergs' lungs.

After the examination, he was returned to Olaine to the Prison Hospital and admitted to the ward where patients with other illnesses are treated, instead of the ward where patients with Covid recover. Lembergs is still connected to intensive care systems at the hospital.

It should be recalled that before being infected with Covid-19, A. Lembergs had repeatedly asked for a booster shot, but he was never given it as was recommended by the European Medicines Agency and the Latvian National Immunization Council.

Doctors in Olaine have decided to treat him with the drug Dexamethasone. Wikipedia states that Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid medication used to treat rheumatic problems, a number of skin diseases, severe allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, croup, brain swelling, eye pain following eye surgery, superior vena cava syndrome, and along with antibiotics in tuberculosis.

The package instructions warn of serious side effects. It should be avoided in those with kidney or liver problems such as cirrhosis or chronic renal failure; high blood pressure and heart disease; a family history of diabetes; osteoporosis, glaucoma, intestinal disease or stomach ulcers, epilepsy, migraine, underactive thyroid, parasitic infection, tuberculosis, septicaemia or fungal infection of the eye, malaria with brain complications, herpes, asthma, etc.

The package instructions state that treatment with high doses of this drug "may reduce the body's ability to fight infection. Sometimes they can cause infections arising from micro-organisms that rarely cause infection under normal conditions (called opportunistic infections)."

"It is important to avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox, measles or shingles during treatment. If you think you may have come into contact with someone who has these symptoms, you should tell your doctor immediately. You should also tell your doctor if you have had any infectious diseases such as measles or chickenpox and if you have been vaccinated." Other side effects are also mentioned.

As explained by the relatives, the decision of the Olaine Hospital doctors' consilium on the conclusions previously reached outside the Prison Hospital is currently awaited. A neurologist, a neurosurgeon, therapists and other specialists took part in this consilium. The decision of the Prison Hospital medical consilium is necessary in order for A. Lembergs' defense to be able to decide on the next steps in relation to the change of the imposed security measure, i.e., detention.

As the Christmas and New Year holidays are now in full swing, it is likely that A. Lembergs' future fate in relation to the security measure will be decided next year. The Court has fixed January 24 for the first appeal hearing.

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