UK Doctor Shares Life-Saving Breathing Technique for COVID-19 Patients
A doctor at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, England shared a simple but potentially life-saving breathing technique for COVID-19 patients and those who want to prepare their lungs to brave a coronavirus infection.
Queen’s
Hospital Director of Nursing Sue Elliot created the technique, which
Dr. Sarfaraz Munshi demonstrated in a now-viral video.
“Once
you have an active [COVID-19] infection, you need to be getting a good
amount of air into the base of the lung,” Munshi began.
The
technique to ensure air supply begins with taking five deep breaths in
and holding each breath for five seconds. Take a sixth deep breath and
follow it with a strong cough, while covering the mouth, to open up the
lower airways of the lungs.
Munshi said the technique may cause mild dizziness.
The breathing cycle should be repeated two times.
After
completing two cycles, lay flat on your stomach with a pillow, and take
slightly deeper than normal breaths for 10 minutes. Practice the
technique regularly.
The key, Munshi said, is laying on your stomach.
“The
majority of your lung is on your back, not on your front, so by lying
on your back you are closing off more of the smaller airways,” he said.
Laying
on your back for long periods is especially dangerous for patients with
COVID-19, Munshi warned, as it can lead to secondary pneumonia and
worsen the respiratory infection.
The helpful video has gone viral, with JK Rowling sharing it on Twitter on April 6.
Rowling
said she has presented all of the standard symptoms of COVID-19 but has
not been tested. She followed the breathing technique on the advice of
her husband, a former intensive care doctor, and now claims to be fully
recovered.
Symptoms of a COVID-19 infection include a dry cough, fever, unexplained fatigue, and difficulty breathing in severe cases.
In
some cases, symptoms may not appear until up to two weeks after
infection. About 80% of COVID-19 patients recover from the disease
without requiring special treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
A
COVID-19 infection can be serious and even fatal in some cases. The
elderly and people with other medical conditions such as asthma,
diabetes, or heart disease may be more vulnerable to serious infections.
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