Since all the focus is on finding and treating people with coronavirus, what about those who have recovered from the deadly disease COVID-19 and are trying to get back on track? Will they face reduced lung capacity for the rest of their lives? More than 2.5 lakh people have recovered so far in all age groups across the world. In India, 267 people had recovered (as of Sunday, while the country reported more than 3,374 cases).
According to Dr. Vikas Maurya HOD Pulmonology and Senior Consultant (Sleep and Chest Medicine Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh), symptomatic patients may have reduced lung capacity after recovery. Since it's a new virus, we don't know how long it will stay... but with experience with other respiratory viruses like H1N1, it can be there for a few weeks, months, or years, depending on the degree of lung involvement and whether or not the patient required a ventilator, Maurya told IANS. trouble doing a previous routine or simple cardio exercises like running, jogging, or brisk walking.
Gradually, once the lungs improve, their capacity begins to increase. They may also respond to some drugs that have been tested and given on other respiratory viruses after recovery, Maurya explained. According to Dr. Puneet Khanna, Chief of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine at Manipal Hospital in New Delhi, limited studies from China, Japan and South Korea have shown no major long-term damage to the lungs of recovered COVID-19 patients. In about 20 percent of people with severe pneumonia, some short-term damage in terms of mild fibrosis can be seen, Khanna said.
Most patients can have normal function and make a full recovery. People with fibrosis may have reduced lung capacity in the long term, Khanna added. Recovered patients should do breathing exercises and eat well to keep their immune systems strong.
They must regularly take prescribed medication for chronic illnesses. There are few cases of reinfection, so they must strictly adhere to hand hygiene and social distancing, Khanna told IANS. The lung capacity depends entirely on the stages from which a corona-infected patient has recovered or how much damage he has created in the lungs.
But if a patient had a severe breathing problem and had to be on a ventilator, then there is a chance of reduced lung capacity. Your routine activities, such as walking or running, will also depend on it, said Dr. Gyandeep Mangal, a senior consultant in respiratory medicine at the Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in New Delhi. Corona-recovered patients should initially avoid exertion. Little by little, as time goes by, try to increase your exercise capacity. Yoga can also be helpful in improving respiratory capacity along with breathing exercises, Maurya said.
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