A 39-year-old man was hospitalized due to an increasingly reduced general health condition, after persistent fever and dry cough for 2 weeks. The patient initially needed 4 L/min of oxygen, had a rapid and shallow breathing pattern at rest and became severely breathless during minor physical activities. In the beginning, physical therapy focused on patient education about dyspnea-relieving positions, the importance of regular mobilization, and deep-breathing exercises. However, it quickly became evident that his anxiety from fear of dying and worries about his future aggravated his dyspnea and vice versa. The patient was so dyspneic, anxious, and weak that he was barely able to walk to the toilet. To counter this vicious circle, the physical therapist actively listened to the patient, explained why he was experiencing breathlessness, and tested suitable positions to relieve his dyspnea. He seemed to benefit from the education and the relaxing breathing exercises, as seen on day 2, when his respiratory rate could be reduced from 30 breaths/min to 22 breaths/min and his oxygen saturation increased from 92% to 96% on 4 L/min oxygen after guiding him through some deep-breathing exercises. Over the next days, his dyspnea and anxiety started to alleviate and he regained his self-confidence. Therapy was progressively shifted to walking and strength training and the patient rapidly advanced to walk 350 m without a walking aid or supplemental oxygen before his discharge home.
One week after a positive COVID-19 result this 57-year-old male was admitted to the ICU because of oxygen desaturation (70%) with worsening tachypnea and dyspnea. Physical therapy started immediately after ICU admission. We found a highly dyspneic patient with a high breathing frequency and significant symptom exacerbation from the slightest effort. With hands-on physical therapy guidance, the patient managed to achieve a 135° prone position and to perform deep-breathing exercises resulting in an increase in oxygen saturation from 88% to 96%. Intensive physical therapy and positioning was continued along with 6 to 12 L/min of oxygen therapy over the next days and intubation was avoided. The major challenges in achieving a prone position were the patient’s profoundly reduced respiratory capacity and the high risk of exacerbating his symptoms. However, standard ICU monitoring enabled safe implementation at an individually adapted pace to allow sufficient time for convalescence. After 3 days with this regime, he could be transferred to the normal ward, where physical therapists carried on his rehabilitation with walking and strength training. The patient’s severe instability remained a challenge. Nevertheless, 9 days after ICU admission, the patient was able to leave the hospital as a pedestrian.