When should a Covid-19 patient seek hospital admission? Take 6-minute walk test, says doctor

If there is a fluctuation of 4 per cent or more in oxygen level before and after 6 minutes of walking, then hospital admission may be required.

 

As hospitals are running out of beds with a sharp spike in the number of people Covid-19 patients requiring medical admission, doctors are urging people to not panic if the RT-PCR test comes positive and not to seek hospital admission when not required. Most of the Covid-19 positive patients get cured under home treatment, a video message posted by the citizen engagement platform of the government of India said based on the suggestions of Dr CS Pramesh, director, Tata Memorial Hospital.

Apart from good nutrition, loads of fluid, yoga, pranayam, covid-positive patients must track their fever and oxygen level. For an accurate understanding of the oxygen level, taking a six-minute walk test is being suggested where a patient has to oxygen reading before and after six-minute of walking in their isolation rooms. This test can be taken 2-3 times in a day, the video message said. If these readings are normal, then there is no need for the hospital admission.

Hospital admission is needed if

> the baseline saturation on Oximeter is below 94 per cent

> there is a 4 per cent or more fluctuation in oxygen level before and after 6 minutes of walking

In such cases when the oxygen level is below 94 per cent, one should lie face down on their belly to improve the oxygen level in blood.

Regarding medication, if a patient does not have any other symptom than fever, then only paracetamol is required.

AIIMS director Dr Ramdeep Guleria has said more than 85 per cent of the covid patients will recover without any specific treatment. "Oxygen is a treatment, it is like a drug. There is no data that shows that this will be of any help to the patients and is, therefore, ill-advised," he said adding that healthy individuals with oxygen saturation in the range of 93-94 per cent do not need to take high-flow oxygen to maintain the optimum saturation level.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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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.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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