Washington D.C. [USA], Mar 12 : A brave doctor who got infected with COVID-19 while treating patients in Madrid has taken to Twitter for posting daily updates of how the disease is taking a toll over his body.
According to the New York Post, Dr Yale Chen tweets lung ultrasounds and accounts of his symptoms each day to raise awareness and garner well-wishes from his followers.
In the Tweet from March 9 (local time), the first day he got diagnosed, Chen said that he developed a sore throat, severe headache, but no abnormalities in his lungs.
The caption of the post read: "Day 1 after #COVID diagnosis. Sore throat, headache (strong!), Dry cough but not shortness of breath. No lung US abnormalities. Will keep a #POCUS track of my lungs".
On the second day, Chen updated: "Day 2 after #COVID diagnosis. Less sore throat, cough & headache (thank God!), still no shortness of breath or pleuritic chest pain. #POCUS update: small bilateral pleural effusion, thickened pleural line & basal b-lines (plaps)".
In common terms, it means that there is fluid buildup in the lungs, New York Post cited Web MD.
Even though there is phlegm accumulation, things still sound fine on the stethoscope, Chen commented on this Tweet.
On Day 3, Chen reported having overcome headache and sore throat. However, he developed diarrhoea. Also, fluids were still found to be present in his lungs, New York Post reported further.
The tweet for this day read: "Day 3 after #COVID diagnosis. No sore throat/headache. Yesterday was cough day, still no shortness of breath/chest pain. Diarrhea started, lucky cough got better. #POCUS update: similar effusion, seems less thickened pleural line + no b-lines (PLAPS)".
In the latest Tweet on Day 4, the doctor intimated his followers that his cough has got worse and he feels extremely tired, though he hasn't experienced any chest pain till now.
"Day 4 after #COVID diagnosis. More cough & tiredness (very badly), still no dyspnea/chest pain. #POCUS update: Right side on resolution, Left side a more thickened pleural line + 2 subpleural consolidations" the Tweet said.