4. Introduction
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the
coronavirus 2, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2).
In December of this year, the first known case was discovered in Wuhan,
China.
Since then, the disease has spread worldwide. On March 11, the WHO stated
that the COVID-19 outbreak is characterized as a pandemic, meaning
worldwide spread.
Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as social distancing, quarantine,
and school and workplace closure were put in place to slow the spread of the
virus.
6. Symptoms of COVID-19
Symptoms of COVID-19 are variable, but often include fever,[9]
cough, headache, fatigue, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and
loss of taste.Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after
exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected
do not develop noticeable symptoms.
Of those people who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be
classed as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate
symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe
symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement
on imaging), and 5% suffer critical symptoms (respiratory failure,
shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).
Older people are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms.
7. Symptoms of COVID-19
Some people continue to experience a range of effects (long
COVID) for months after recovery, and damage to organs has been
observed. Multi-year studies are underway to further investigate
the long-term effects of the disease.
10. Yoga for COVID-19
Yoga deals with the holistic principle of connecting the body, mind, and consciousness. Ancient
Indian books like Vedas and Puranas have mentioned the healing properties of yoga. It has shown
improvement in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, reducing fatigue in cancer patients,
reducing blood pressure in hypertensives, reducing sugar in diabetic patients, and symptoms of
menopause.
Several clinical trials have shown the effect of yoga in improvement in pulmonary function tests
in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are reports of achieving earlier
sputum negativity in tuberculosis patients and an increase in CD-4 cell count in HIV patients by
integrative yoga.
The three pillars of yoga are asana (body postures), pranayama (breathing exercise), and
meditation with or without chanting mantras. It can reduce the fight or flight response of stress by
increasing the vagal stimulation.Its anti-inflammatory activity includes reduction in natural killer
(NK) cell, C-reactive protein (CRP), and T-cell cytokine (IL-12, IL-6), and an increase in anti-
inflammatory cytokine (IL-10).
Studies have shown that yoga may enhance the production and activity of melatonin, hormone-
possessing antiviral, immune-enhancing, and anti-inflammatory property.
11. Yoga for COVID-19
COVID-19 is among the most extreme stressors possible to be experienced not only by
the patient, but also by the family members and healthcare workers. Psychosocial stress
can reduce immunity against infectious challenges and overstimulate host inflammatory
responses, leading to tissue damage and even death. COVID-19 is associated with an
increase in inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP, ferritin, etc.). Yoga can reduce mental
stress and anxiety in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during home isolation or
postrecovery and reduce burnout syndrome in healthcare workers.
It can also be used as a therapy in symptomatic patients with mild to moderate acute
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on face mask, high-flow oxygen cannula, or
non-invasive mechanical ventilation.
Various asanas and pranayama can be taught to patients virtually by telemedicine
through computers, mobile phones, or tablets. However, clinical trials can prove the
therapeutic role of yoga in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate ARDS.
