Protracted non-invasive ventilation for severe hypoxemic respiratory failure in Long COVID: a case series

COVID pandemic has been a cause of extensive morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients with severe COVID have been observed to suffer from remnant lung damage, fibrosis and oxygen dependency. These patients have still an unpredictable course and outcome. The outcome of these patients is not clearly defined yet. The signs and symptoms in such patients persisting even 4 weeks after acute COVID-19 has been recently named as “Long COVID”. In the present case series, we present the course and outcome of two such ‘Long COVID’ patients who presented with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. These patients were managed with a prolonged application of Non-invasive ventilation with high flow oxygen and alongwith glycaemic control, steroids and antibiotics. The patients showed tremendous response to the treatment and could be weaned from NIV after about three weeks of therapy. These cases demonstrate the utility of NIV, even in severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, in Long COVID.