Shortness of Breath and COVID-19

[vocalEK]

"Where we need to focus attention is that, in general, shortness of breath takes time to develop. As soon as someone starts reporting 'I had this illness ... and now I have new shortness of breath,' start watching their symptoms over the next 72 hours."

Cohen said clinicians should especially be looking for when the shortness of breath began, and if it's worsening as the days progress. But because most patients do not have a high-quality oximeter at home, a majority of this information can be taken through a patient's history.

However, the authors noted that dyspnea related to COVID-19 presents differently from dyspnea associated with other illnesses. In post-viral pneumonia different from COVID-19, for example, increasing fever and productive cough may be symptoms of worsening illness, whereas in COVID-19, worsening dyspnea may be without productive cough. Likewise, dyspnea would improve gradually over the course of an uncomplicated influenza infection, not get worse.

medpagetoday.com/infectious...

Hypothyroidism sometimes comes with shortness of breath, too. In these days, this is something we should watch. And speaking of watches, I just bought a fittness tracking watch that measures oxgen saturation. Only $35 USD

[shaws Administrator]

Thanks for posting.

[annnsandell]

So is there anything to be done for Covid19 dyspnea? Well over the worst and feeling human again, nearly 4 weeks. Shortness of breath only with exercise now, very limited. Asked the GP if anti-biotics would help. Appeared very uninformed and said it would get better in a few weeks. There is now enough information for those that get Coronavirus, only for avoiding it.

[vocalEK in reply to annnsandell]

Do you have an Albuterol rescue inhaler? That's what I use when I get wheezy during exercise. If not, ask doc for a Rx for one.

[annnsandell in reply to vocalEK]

It's not me, it's my husband, I have suggested that but it is not like asthma at all. A blue inhaler, of course, opens airways. I suppose it is because the virus is still in the lungs, x-rays show the damage it does putting fluid in the lungs and making parts of the lungs unusable until totally cleared.