Breathless After COVID-19: Could Diaphragm Dysfunction be to Blame?

Many people worldwide are experiencing post-COVID symptoms that last for at least three months after the initial infection. The post-COVID syndrome comprises a wide range of symptoms, with dyspnea present in 30% of patients. A recent study hypothesized that diaphragm weakness could be an explanation for unexplained dyspnea in some post-COVID patients. Regmi and colleagues investigated this hypothesis using state-of-the-art techniques. The study found that both ventilated and non-ventilated COVID survivors had reduced diaphragm strength, expiratory muscle strength, and contractility. Furthermore, the weakness was not different between the two groups, arguing in favor of a virus-specific etiology. The study adds to the emerging evidence that phrenic nerve and muscle damage may be a factor in post-COVID dyspnea.