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Simple treatment helping some COVID-19 patients

It's not a magic bullet, but a simple treatment is making a difference in some severely ill patients.

From politicians to patients, a lot of people are looking for a magic bullet to kill coronavirus. And while that may be a lot harder than it sounds some doctors report a very simple treatment is helping ease symptoms in COVID-19 patients...rolling them over.

What's the treatment?

It's called proning and it means putting a patient in a prone position - lying flat on their stomach instead of lying on their back. It requires little to no equipment but it appears to help patients critically ill with coronavirus.

Why does it work?

It improves lung function. It's a matter of basic anatomy. As we have learned, COVID-19 can attack the lungs. And the human body has more lung tissue in the back than the front. So when fluid builds up in the lungs, and you are lying on your back, more lung tissue is affected, interfering with lung function.

Is this something new?

The treatment has been used effectively for years to help patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which is also a life threatening complication seen in many severe coronavirus patients. More research needs to be done on proning and coronavirus, but doctors report it reduces the need for patients to be put on ventilators.

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