COVID-19 Frontline: Can recovered COVID-19 patients exercise?

**Editor's note: **On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and as of Thursday (May 21), about 200 countries and regions have confirmed over 4,801,000 cases, according to the WHO. On CGTN's live program "COVID-19 Frontline," we invited medical workers and experts from China's epicenter Wuhan and from all over the world to share their experiences and take questions from social media, in the hope of providing more information for those who are battling against the pandemic.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the globe, Brazil is seeing an overwhelming spike as thecountry reported over 291,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases as ofThursday, overtaking the UK to become the third-most in global infections.

Inthe latest episode of CGTN's "COVID-19 Frontline" livestream, which was held on Wednesday, May 20, CGTN invitedthree veteran experts from Peking University People's Hospital who specialize in pulmonary and critical care medicine, infectious disease, and intensive care medicine, to exchange treatment experience with Brazilian peers.

Live: China shares COVID-19 treatment experience with Brazil

CGTN's"COVID-19 Frontline" /CGTN

Li Yang, consulgeneralof the Chinese Consulate-General in Rio de Janeiro,also joined the online meeting and sent his greetings through the program. "Stay together, work together, hand in hand, to fight against this deadly virus, and I believe this video conferenceis part of our joint efforts. We firmly believe that eventually we will defeat this common enemy of the entire mankind," he said.

Potential effects of COVID-19on the health of recovered patients

Valeria Salles, chief of International Officeof Hospital Samaritano, Brazil, asked about the potential lung damage ofrecovered COVID-19 patients.

Cao Zhaolong,head physician of Department of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, said that according to his treatment experience, 80 percent of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms, they can do some exercises in the hospital and their respiratory systems are not affected much by the virus. After these patients are discharged from the hospital, they can live just like a healthy person. But for critical patients, they are not suggested to do much exercises after being discharged. Because the virus has not only damaged their lungs, but has also damaged their hearts, kidneys and coagulationsystem, they are suggested to not exercise for at least three to six months. The strenuousexercisemay cause sudden cardiac death.

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Use of antibiotics

Valeria Salles also asked about the use of antibiotics at different stages.

Dr. Cao Zhaolong said, at present, COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms don't receive antibiotics. But for severe cases, they need to get prophylactic antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotics to treat severe COVID-19 patients include levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, second generation cephalosporin and third generation cephalosporin. Carbapenemcan be used to treat ICU patients.

CGTN's "COVID-19 Frontline" livestream which was held on Wednesday, May 20. /CGTN

Treatment for COVID-19 patients with cardio-cerebrovascular complications

Ricardo Lima, chief ofthe Intensive Care Unitand head of the COVID-19 Project atHospital Samaritano, said he had seen many cardio-cerebrovascular complicationsin Brazilian COVID-19 patients, so he would like to know the treatment experience of Chinese doctors.

Zhu Fengxue, deputy directorof Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, said the mechanics behind these heart injuries are not clear currently, but it might be related to ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2)receptors. It also might be triggered by an inflammatory response or drugs. For this group of patients, the alleviated level of myocardial enzymescan be noticed. In terms of clinical therapies, there is no particular treatment for this kind of complication. Doctors can only try to eliminate the triggers by not aggravating the damage to the heart. There is no special therapy. The mortality rate in this group of patients is very high.

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In later episodes of "COVID-19 Frontline," more frontline doctors and experts from Wuhan will join in to share their experience with their colleagues from other parts of the world. If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, you can share with us using #MyOpinionOnCOVID19 on Facebook.

Videos by Zeng Hongen

Cover image by Du Chenxin