Breath Holding Time as an Alternative Approach to Know the Respiratory Fitness

The present study aimed to highlights about breath holding time as an alternative approach to know the respiratory fitness. The current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 outbreak has proven as a stark reminder of how novel infections can emerge and spread quickly throughout the human population, posing major public health risks. Due to the highly contagious nature of SARS-CoV-2, routine or urgent clinical follow-up is difficult within the primary care, or community setting. A total of 53 nursing students of mild post COVID-19 cases, 35 cases of moderate Post COVID-19 nursing students aged 18–23 years from residential/private nursing colleges, St. Luke’s School and College of Nursing and Smt. Vijaya Luke’s College of Nursing, Visakhapatnam were enrolled after taking thorough history about COVID-19 that is after 2 months of complete recovery.

The results of this study based on 109 normal COVID-19 cases and 35 moderate COVID-19 cases, show that breath holding time and oxygen saturation levels SpO2 are increasingly important factors in the course of COVID cases. Despite this, pulse oximetry readings of SpO2 are still an effective clinical diagnostic tool in the moderate symptom patient group.

When oxygen saturation levels were compared before and after the breath holding in normal, mild and moderate cases the results were significant. However, when the oxygen saturation levels were compared between normal and mild COVID-19 cases the values were insignificant (p=0.4) and at the same time when the oxygen saturation levels were compared between normal and moderate COVID-19 cases the values were significant (p=0.0001).

Breath holding time is a parameter that determines respiratory capacity and when used to assess the progression of lung injury provides information about respiratory fitness, particularly in the COVID era. These breath holding techniques which are used as a part of many ancient Indian practices like yoga are becoming popular because of its beneficiary effects.