One of the things most concerning about COVID -19 is severe breathing problems. We know how terrifying this can be. It’s not clear why these problems happens to some people and not others, but pre-existing respiratory conditions such as emphysema, and age, are clearly major drivers of risk for Coronavirus complications involving the lungs.
The SurvivorNet Guide to Coronavirus for Cancer Patients
Read More- Sometimes, COVID-19 can cause fluid to build up in the lungs or can cause a pneumonia to get so bad that person can have a hard time breathing on his or her own. In these cases, health care staff try to decrease the work of breathing by using different types of breathing support. Two such examples are a nasal cannula (tubing that has with two prongs that go into your nostrils) or an oxygen mask. Both devices deliver additional oxygen to your lungs.
- If that doesn't work, we may move on to high flow nasal cannula (which delivers oxygen with some pressure through your nose) or a BiPAP ( a mask that pushes air in through your mouth). Both are non- invasive ( meaning there is nothing inserted in you) ways of getting air into you to open up your lungs.
- However, based on cases of COVID-19 from around the world, it seems better to avoid BiPAP because this type of support sends more contaminating droplets into the air, putting people at risk of exposure.
When Are Ventilators Used?
Cases have shown that if people are sick enough to need respiratory support, they often need to be put on a machine called a ventilator. When a person cannot breathe on his or her own, is at risk of soon not being able to breathe, or stops breathing, we intubate them. Intubation means we sedate the person and insert a breathing tube down his or her throat to where the lungs are. We then hook this tube up to a ventilator.The ventilator then delivers oxygen through the breathing tube at a controlled amount, rate and pressure. This way, the person is not struggling to breathe. The machine is breathing for him or her, thus, decreasing the risk that the person will stop breathing or have a heart attack. We keep the person sedated and comfortable while on the ventilator. This stabilizes the person enough to give us time to continue treatment.
What's the treatment?
There is no cure for COVID-19. For a lot of people, it will pass without any symptoms or just present like a bad cold. For folks who are really sick, it's supportive care and trying different types of medications based on initial results of our counterparts in Italy and China . There are companies working on vaccines but there is nothing definitive, yet.
COVID- 19 is scary because it is new, we don't know a lot about it, it spreads very easily and some people can get very sick. However, it is not the end of the world. The most harm is done by panicking and hoarding/monopolizing resources. Also, harm is done when a situation isn't taken seriously and there is lax practice of social distancing and hygiene. If we are patient, calm, responsible and consider our wellbeing as a collective of people, we will get through this.
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