Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could present symptoms extremely similar to those of COVID-19, doctors said, urging people diagnosed with COPD to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Chen Ling-yi (陳鈴宜), a doctor at Asia University Hospital’s Division of Thoracic Medicine, said that the hospital recently admitted a 63-year-old man surnamed Chan (詹).
The family members who brought him in said that Chan ran out of breath after walking up just three floors and had also recently had a fever, adding that they were worried he might have COVID-19.
Chan had difficulty breathing when he arrived at the hospital and had a temperature of 39°C, Chen said.
After performing a chest X-ray, doctors diagnosed Chan with pneumonia, which caused his COPD attack, Chen said.
Chan was hospitalized for 10 days and decided to quit smoking after the ordeal, Chen said.
Chan’s habit of smoking, as well as air pollution and other external factors, caused regular inflammation of the bronchioles, changing their structure and resulting in shortness of breath, Chen said.
These changes are irreversible and can sometimes cause the lungs to be unable to absorb oxygen or exhale carbon dioxide, Chen added.
Most people who develop COPD are chronic smokers, Chen said, adding that by the time most of them visit a doctor complaining of shortness of breath, their respiratory system has already undergone drastic changes.
While medicine and therapy cannot cure COPD, people with the condition can improve it and prevent their lungs from deteriorating further, as long as they quit smoking and stay away from second-hand smoke, Chen said.
Chen urged people who have COPD to register for a COVID-19 jab as soon as possible to prevent complications brought on by the virus.
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