A doctor from Spain who recently contracted the coronavirus has been tweeting daily updates of life under quarantine while chronicling the progression of his infection. He’s sharing information such as symptoms of the virus and ultrasound pictures of his lungs. Dr. Yale Tung Chen, an emergency physician at the Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, tells NBC News that he contracted the virus while treating infected patients at the hospital. He has been quarantined in his home since being diagnosed on Sunday.
Dr. Chen, who is 35-years-old, seems to be managing the infection well. He’s currently on day three and reports that his condition is improving. According to Chen, symptoms so far have included sore throat, headache, dry cough, and some diarrhea. Chen has also shared ultrasounds that show an effusion developing in his lungs, which is thought to lead to pneumonia in some patients.
Dr. Chen’s experience is giving us a first-hand glimpse into what life with the virus might be like for those exhibiting mild symptoms.
Day 1
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
Day 2
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
Are you listening to your chest too? Any abnormal breath sounds?
— Prof. Joy Conway (@southcoastjoy) March 10, 2020
That was a really important question. Normal lung auscultation… (I finally had the chance to use my digital stetoscope!!!) pic.twitter.com/aPaI6JtIaG
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 10, 2020
Day 3
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
Day 4
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
What does "Right side on resolution, Left side a more thickened pleural line + 2 subpleural consolidations" mean in simpler terms? :)
— Antonello Caboni (@antuantuan) March 12, 2020
pneumonia
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 12, 2020
Fever ?
— sunnysun77 (@77sunnysun3) March 12, 2020
none
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 12, 2020
Day 5
Day 5 after #COVID diagnosis. Less cough & tired, still no dyspnea/chest pain. #POCUS update: Effusion resolved, as subpleural consolidations spread bilaterally on both posterior lower lobes. Started on HCQ yesterday. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/fjtq2SEM1d
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 13, 2020
Watched @yaletung on @FoxNews who says the flu last year was worse than the Coronavirus he has now. Taking ibuprofen & tylenol & that's it. #CoronaVirusUpdate
— Robbie Davis (@littlerob13) March 13, 2020
Thank you so much for this. Very brave of you to put it out on Twitter. May I ask, is the dry cough the one consistent symptom throughout?
— Mom de plume 🇬🇧 🇪🇺🇺🇦🕷 #FBPE (@NargisWalker) March 13, 2020
Dry cough is a main symptom, but diagnosis does not rely on symptoms alone, mainly to had contact with positive patients.
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 13, 2020
Day 6
Day 6 after #COVID diagnosis. Less cough, bit tired, still no dyspnea. No fever. Oxygen saturation 98%. #POCUS update: thick pleural line, b-lines and subpleural consolidations tend to resolve. Significant lung improve from yesterday. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/StQnbPPFUE
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/ketaminh/status/1238773569506574337
yes, 400mg bid for two days (this morning 4th dose), and then 200mg bid, for 5 days more.
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 14, 2020
Day 7
Day 7 after #COVID diagnosis. Cough & weakness got worse (again), still no dyspnea. No fever. SpO2 96%. #POCUS update: similar to yesterday – thick pleural line, b-lines & consolidations tend to resolve. On paracetamol + HCQ. Stopped NSAIDs. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen
@acam_acam pic.twitter.com/SPmEV7t7JK— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 15, 2020
Not enough evidence to support discontinuation therapy with NSAIDs (ibuprofen, ketoprofen,…) in #COVID19 @AEMPSGOB pic.twitter.com/0KZcvctwIa
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 15, 2020
Day 8
Day 8 after #COVID diagnosis. Less Cough & similar weakness, still no dyspnea or red flag symptoms. No fever. SpO2 96%. #POCUS update: Right resolved. Left lower lobe much better. Left lateral appeared new focal B-lines. On paracetamol + HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/8vqMwJPiOb
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 16, 2020
Day 9
Day 9 after #COVID diagnosis. Feeling slightly better. More cough. No dyspnea or red flag symptoms. No fever. SpO2 97%. #POCUS update: similar to yesterday. Left lower & lateral with thick pleural line & focal B-lines. On paracetamol + HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen
@acam_acam pic.twitter.com/51K6z5tgU3— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 17, 2020
(1/3) 1. #COVIDー19 so far in China there is no re-infected cases reported. Only false-negative cases reported after test negative and reoccured. 2. However, cases out of china has reported reoccured case , but they do not specify whether false-negative or not. @CasasolaGarcia
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 17, 2020
(2/3) #COVIDー19 3. A recent animal trial paper(Mar 14, 2020) from China showes that "Reinfection could not occur in SARS-CoV-2 infected rhesus macaques", in bioRxiv. You can go and review this article. https://t.co/7yqV3F4LUL@CasasolaGarcia
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 17, 2020
(3/3) #COVIDー19
Further suggestion: After clinically recovered, advise for further 14 days quarantine period, then nucleic acid test, to avoid false-negative cases. @CasasolaGarcia— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 17, 2020
Day 10
Day 10 after #COVID diagnosis. Less tired, but more cough, ageusia & anosmia. No dyspnea or red flag symptoms. No fever. SpO2 97%. #POCUS update: Right, Left lower & lateral with thick pleural line & focal B-lines. On paracetamol + HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/N93wZlc4NE
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 18, 2020
Ant chance you could rewrite that in words that us mere mortals might understand?
— Julie (@astronomer14) March 18, 2020
I have mild pneumonia
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 18, 2020
Day 11
Day 11 after #COVID diagnosis. Less tired & cough, unable to endure small efforts. No dyspnea or red flag symptoms. No fever. SpO2 98%. #POCUS update: Bilateral subpleural consolidations, thick pleura & focal B-lines. On paracetamol + HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen
@acam_acam pic.twitter.com/DZN9bP8X2y— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 19, 2020
Day 12
Day 12 after #COVID diagnosis. Better, main symptoms cough, nausea & diarrhea. No dyspnea or red flag sympts. No fever. SpO2 98%. #POCUS update: Subpleural consolidations resolving, thick pleura & B-lines, small effusion. On azithromycin+HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/WUjhB9Ksey
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 20, 2020
Get well soon. How many days can you take azithromycin?
— Dhruv (@mrdhruvjoshi) March 20, 2020
5 days
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 20, 2020
Day 13
Day 13 after #COVID diagnosis. Lesser cough, weakness, nausea & diarrhea. No dyspnea or red flag symptoms. No fever. SpO2 97%. #POCUS update: 2 subpleural consolidations (resolving), thick pleura & Bil scattered B-lines. On azithromycin+HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/U7p3iWvXrN
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 21, 2020
Day 14
Day 14 after #COVID diagnosis. Less symptoms – cough, weakness, nausea, light headache. Regain apetite/smell. No fever/dyspnea. SpO2 98%. #POCUS update: Improving – thick pleura & Bilateral scattered B-lines, no effusion. On azithromycin+HCQ. #mycoviddiary @TomasVillen @acam_acam pic.twitter.com/IZ0wmyL0l5
— Yale Tung-Chen (@yaletung) March 22, 2020
