COVID-19: How to Prevent Pneumonia [CORRECTION]

Now it has happened: You have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and are sick in bed. What can you do now to avoid getting sicker?

There is currently no vaccination or cure for COVID-19, only the symptoms can be combated. However, there is more you can do if you are already in bed with symptoms of the new coronavirus: prevent pneumonia!

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CORRECTION March 30, 2020

important :
the measures described cannot prevent pneumonia caused by COVID-19 .

The measures described are suitable for common bacterial inflammation of the lungs. Viruses, on the other hand, settle in the cells and multiply, and unfortunately no breathing exercises really help.

The measures are only suitable if you have also caught a bacterial infection, but not directly against COVID-19.

In addition, a quote from a qualified nurse:

“Pneumonia prophylaxis is always good if you are bedridden or have a respiratory infection and in many cases it is vital.
In the hospital, for example. You often hear that patients go to the hospital for a routine operation, for example, and then develop pneumonia there. This is due, among other things, to too little pneumonia prophylaxis. However, I don’t think the severity of a Covid-19 infection depends on it.”

For the sake of completeness, we will keep the article online, but we apologize for publishing this information too quickly.

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The tricky thing about COVID-19 is that it often starts with a fever and a dry cough, but can progress to pneumonia, which is really dangerous, especially for older people.

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But how can you prevent pneumonia?

The “ Nursing Philosophy published practical tips . Monja Schünemann gives simple advice on how to prevent pneumonia if you are already sick in bed - because just lying around can promote pneumonia.

• Please do not lie down in bed as if you have a cold. If your condition even allows it, stay seated with your upper body upright, but at least 30 degrees.
• Raise your arms several times a day to expand your lungs. Breathe in and out deeply. Try coughing.
• Secretions can only be coughed up if you have drunk enough. If your doctor has not prescribed any amount for you to drink, please drink enough fluids so that the lungs can produce secretions at all. If you can't do that, the secretion thickens and you can no longer cough it up. Raise your cups! With non-alcoholic drinks that you like.
• If you still have an old “puff tube” ( spirometer ) somewhere, now is the best time to do it. Hourly would not be an exaggeration. Please keep it out of reach of others. Germs from your exhaled air are present on the mouthpiece and on the device itself.
• If you don't have such a device, you can do something else: blow through drinking straws. Or bring balloons and blow them up every hour. Please also store drinking straws and balloons out of the reach of others. Germs from your mouth are also there. Blow up the same balloon every hour. This is very strenuous, but prevents atelectasis.
• Off to the window! Fresh air is important. Also ventilate your room. The old saying that you get pneumonia from catching a cold is complete nonsense. The lungs NEED fresh air. And no, even “train” doesn’t make you sick. Every breeze of air helps and prevents. Let the air into your lungs.
• Do not take cough suppressants. Coughing is what protects you. Always get out with it. Be happy about every cough. Please put the tissue in your personal trash bag and close it (there are hygiene tips in the other blog)

Important:
This advice is not a guarantee that you won't get pneumonia from the new coronavirus, but it can be helpful in preventing it.
In addition, as the blog points out, there is still no experience of exercises in connection with COVID-19! These exercises are purely preventive and are used by nurses on bedridden patients!

Source: Nursing philosophy
Article image: Shutterstock / By Yok_onepiece

Also interesting:

• Does drinking a lot of water help against the new coronavirus? - No!