Doctor with coronavirus reveals his daily symptoms on social media
A doctor who tested positive for COVID-19 has been sharing his experience on social media.
Dr Yale Tung Chen, 35, is one of the 2,277 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Spain and he has taken to his twitter account to document his symptoms.
The emergency department doctor at Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid said that his first symptoms were “abrupt” and appeared a day or two before he was tested.
“It was abrupt low grade fever in setting with many patients covid19+ which prompted the test,” he wrote.
"I started to feel unwell, in that moment, I wondered if it could be coronavirus but did not have any epidemiological contacts to justify my fear," he told outlet LBC News.
Fearing that he may infect his wife and two children, Chen was tested and returned positive results.
Day one: Isolates after positive results
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. #coronavirus @TomasVillen @ButterflyNetInc pic.twitter.com/wLtSc70pxQ
— Yale Tung Chen (@yaletung) March 9, 2020
Chen returned to his home and isolated himself immediately in a room away from his family.
He said although his fever disappeared he developed a dry cough.
The doctor uploads daily ultrasounds of his lungs to Twitter to monitor any changes.
“Day one 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,” Chen wrote on March 9.
The doctor said while his fever quickly disappeared, his headache intensified.
“Like a migraine, pressure ok both sides, between eyes and ears. Better with rest,” he posted.
Day two: Lungs show possible pneumonia
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). #coronavirus @TomasVillen @ButterflyNetInc pic.twitter.com/tpKkeFdhac
— Yale Tung Chen (@yaletung) March 10, 2020
On day two Chen reported “Less sore throat, cough and headache (thank God!), still no shortness of breath or pleuritic chest pain”.
The doctor noticed a dark spot on the ultrasound, an indication of liquid in the lungs which could mean pneumonia.
"The most worrisome part of the disease is the involvement of the lungs" he told LBC News.
The doctor said he is remaining positive and even doing push ups.
“Because its the only kind of exercise I know to do properly and can do in a 5x5m2 room,” he explained.
Day three: Diarrhoea
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). #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen pic.twitter.com/ycJfQNtLL8
— Yale Tung Chen (@yaletung) March 11, 2020
Three days in to the infection the father wrote that although he had no sore throat or headache, he had started to experience diarrhoea.
He said his third ultrasound "remained similar" to the effusion seen on the previous day but “the surrounding white thing, the lung, looks better today."
“Lucky, cough got better,” he posted.
Day four: Pneumonia sets in
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. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen pic.twitter.com/KBUf084mkC
— Yale Tung Chen (@yaletung) March 12, 2020
On Friday Chen posted his symptoms on day four. “More cough and tiredness (very badly), still no dyspnea/chest pain”.
The doctor wrote that he had lost his appetite and could only stomach water, vegetables and fruit.
He confirmed to followers that his fourth ultrasound showed pneumonia which he will continue to treat at home with “ibuprofen and Tylenol (paracetamol). Nothing else,” he posted.
When asked what the hardest part about self isolating was, the father and husband who has isolated himself in a room at home, told outlet LBC it was not being able to spend time with his family.
"That is probably the most anxious part, to not be able to be with my family, my kids, at this moment," he said.
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