Favorable or Unfavorable? Awake-Prone Positioning’s Effectiveness on COVID-19 Patients—A Research Study

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus infection shows the initial symptoms of cough, abrupt onset of fever, and breathing difficulties. Physical issues included exhaustion, diminished functional capacity, and difficulty doing activities of daily living. Prone positioning causes enhanced oxygenation and respiratory function. Both are required in non-ventilated COVID-19 patients, admitted with oxygen support. The aim is to study the immediate effectiveness of awake-prone positioning on oxygen saturation and oxygen requirement in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: A total of 59 patients were selected for the study, who were screened as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria from the COVID-19 center of Shalinitai Meghe Superspeciality Hospital, Sawangi (M), Wardha, Maharashtra, India. The patients were educated about the procedure of prone positioning, along with the red flags to inform the therapist while receiving the treatment regime. Pre-exercise vitals were noted and the patients were monitored throughout the regime session for any discomfort or change in the hemodynamic status of the patients. Awake-prone position was given to the patients and its effectiveness was documented in this study. Results: All the patients have shown improvement in the oxygen saturation level and the amount of required oxygen during their stay in the hospital. Conclusion: The study has shown that proning is an advantageous technique in COVID-19 patients to enhance lung function and oxygenation of the body.