If [a COVID-19] case becomes severe & ventilator access is limited, postural drainage is a thing I would be trying (seems low-cost & fits my models about what sort of thing should help). https://www.healthline.com/health/postural-drainage
Relatedly, if you’re showing COVID-19 symptoms, I think I would recommend that you start lying on your chest if you can sleep and rest well in that position, using pillows for support as needed. I base this on an NY doctor working in a non-ICU COVID-19 unit who says:
Proning [i.e., having patients lay on their stomach] is now standard in our ICU and I tried hard to get my sicker patients to do it too to head off intubation. [...]
[in reply to “Is proning something we can do at home to help with milder symptoms? My brother is short of breath but not at ICU level, should he try this?”:]
Yes, can’t hurt, likely help
I only looked at these studies briefly, but they suggest that ARDS patients benefit from lying on their stomach:
Idea I saw someone float:
Relatedly, if you’re showing COVID-19 symptoms, I think I would recommend that you start lying on your chest if you can sleep and rest well in that position, using pillows for support as needed. I base this on an NY doctor working in a non-ICU COVID-19 unit who says:
I only looked at these studies briefly, but they suggest that ARDS patients benefit from lying on their stomach:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848155/
https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1164/rccm.202003-0527LE