coronavirus and freediving

Ramon Fernandez · Mar 27, 2020

El problema en Europa es siempre el mismo: demasiado buenísmo, demasiado confiados, demasiado incrédulos, demasiado creídos en ser perfectos
las medidas se han tomado tarde y mal.

Italia desarrollo la enfermedad en zonas de montaña donde la población esta envejecida, en España los fallecidos mayores ancianos están en residencias y ninguna está a salvo todos o la mayoría han muerto.

Europa debido cerrar todas las fronteras con China, espacio Schengen y el resto del mundo, pero no lo hicieron.
China nos dio ventaja de meses para evitar esta tragedia, pero por arrogancia no lo hicimos incredulidad y creernos super personas que no lo somos, mortales si..

<º))))><

The problem in Europe is always the same: too good-natured, too trusting, too unbelieving, too believed in being perfect
measures have been taken late and wrong.

Italy developed the disease in mountain areas where the population is aged, in Spain the deceased elderly people are in residences and none is safe except all or most have died.

Europe should have closed all borders with China, the Schengen area and the rest of the world, but they did not.
China gave us the advantage of months to avoid this tragedy, but out of arrogance we did not disbelief and believe ourselves super people that we are not, mortal if ..

cdavis · Apr 6, 2020

My experience with Coronavirus and implications for freedivers.

I came down with what looks like coronavirus(can't get a test to be sure, wasn't sick enough to meet the testing criteria). Got lucky and its a mild infection, mild sore throat, substantial weakness, slight irritation in the lungs for about 4 days(most people would not have noticed, but I dive half lung and am VERY sensitive to what my lungs feel like), no cough. I'm recovering nicely. Two relevant points:

1. This bug is EXTREMELY contagious! We started preparing for the epidemic much earlier than most anybody else, mostly hunkered down at home, got fanatic about hand washing and disinfecting everything that came into the house, wore an n95 mask on the rare occasions where we had to go into a building where lots of people were (grocery stores), and still got infected. Given what we were doing, the infection route was probably through the air in a situation that looked safe. "Experts" are coming around to the view that air transmission is much easier than they thought. Fair warning.

2. In my case, even a mild infection reduced gas transfer in the lungs. I started monitoring with a finger pulse/oxymeter on the worst day of the lung irritation. 02 saturation at rest had declined from 97-99 to 91-96. I NEVER see 02 cnc below 96 when healthy, unless doing exhale negatives. When I was moving around, did not see any difference. Things are going back to normal, but saturation was below normal even after my lungs felt fine. This is day 9.

This is just one, anecdotal report, hardly definitive, but its worth being cautious. Since some of us are undoubtedly going to be diving with a slight case of coronavirus, be careful to limit the dive duration until this mess is gone. Lower 02 saturation can put you at risk of BO and you will not even feel it.

ZEST · Apr 20, 2020

Probably the first real feedback from a spearo

cdavis · Apr 20, 2020

Thanks ZEST, a much worse case than mine. Can you get Joe to chime into this thread? I'd really like to keep up with his progress toward diving recovery.

I'm over the virus, but still very wimpy and its day 20.

Leander · Apr 21, 2020

It really sounds like for us it's the best to avoid getting it at all cost. Of course getting the virus doesn't mean pneumonia in all cases, but it's a lottery with a very shitty price.

It would be nice indeed to get some periodic updates about the recovery. Also from you, Connor. Like what exactly is feeling wimpy? Not getting enough air or whizzing breathing? Fatigue? Do you feel there's improvement from day to day? If you would do a breathhold now, how does it compare to before the virus and does the breathhold feel different now?

cdavis · Apr 21, 2020

Lungs are apparently(but not really) fine, starting a intermittent cough that brings up some phlegm. I think this is cleaning out old damage. Wimpy is just general, whole body tired, lethargic. Example: went for a beach walk Saturday, 1/2 mile and I very ready to sit down, whole body tired, not just my legs. Normally I'd walk a couple of miles before my legs started to feel tired and not feel any need to sit down. Did a short series of shallow dives under an old dock to get dinner on Sunday, short dives, but not enough time to get into it. No apparent issues. I have not done any other breathholds or lung stretches since before I caught this. Sa02 at basal heart rate was still a couple points low this am, but better than last week.

Recovery is coming along, but it is a damn long process, longer than the flu.

You are right, don't catch this.

nickbrunn · Apr 21, 2020

Just thought I'd share an interesting article from an ER physician. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html
According to the physician, the dangerously sneaky thing this virus does is allows for "silent hypoxia". Where, unlike the flu where CO2 and O2 diffusion/absorption are impacted, w/CV the Alveoli are able to off-gas CO2, but have a hard time efficiently absorbing O2. And as we all know, our urge to breath comes from CO2 buildup, so when we don't have this, we feel, well, fine-ish. The doctor noted how patients would not be aware that they were doubling their resting respiration rate, and might push themselves down to 50% O2 saturation while still feeling "normal".
Some ER folks are now proactively wearing pulse-oximeters just to keep an eye on themselves.
Yikes. Stay safe all.

Tangerino · Apr 21, 2020

That’s very dangerous.

ZEST · Apr 22, 2020

cdavis said:
Thanks ZEST, a much worse case than mine. Can you get Joe to chime into this thread? I'd really like to keep up with his progress toward diving recovery.

I'm over the virus, but still very wimpy and its day 20.

Currently he is not active in facebook too.

cdavis · Apr 22, 2020

nickbrunn said:
Just thought I'd share an interesting article from an ER physician. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html
According to the physician, the dangerously sneaky thing this virus does is allows for "silent hypoxia". Where, unlike the flu where CO2 and O2 diffusion/absorption are impacted, w/CV the Alveoli are able to off-gas CO2, but have a hard time efficiently absorbing O2. And as we all know, our urge to breath comes from CO2 buildup, so when we don't have this, we feel, well, fine-ish. The doctor noted how patients would not be aware that they were doubling their resting respiration rate, and might push themselves down to 50% O2 saturation while still feeling "normal".
Some ER folks are now proactively wearing pulse-oximeters just to keep an eye on themselves.
Yikes. Stay safe all.

Nick, great article and exactly what I was worried about. Even when the case is mild, like mine, lower Sa02 continues well after the infection is gone.

Divers take note.

HLanger1955 · Apr 27, 2020

nickbrunn said:
Just thought I'd share an interesting article from an ER physician. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html
According to the physician, the dangerously sneaky thing this virus does is allows for "silent hypoxia". Where, unlike the flu where CO2 and O2 diffusion/absorption are impacted, w/CV the Alveoli are able to off-gas CO2, but have a hard time efficiently absorbing O2. And as we all know, our urge to breath comes from CO2 buildup, so when we don't have this, we feel, well, fine-ish. The doctor noted how patients would not be aware that they were doubling their resting respiration rate, and might push themselves down to 50% O2 saturation while still feeling "normal".
Some ER folks are now proactively wearing pulse-oximeters just to keep an eye on themselves.
Yikes. Stay safe all.

That's definitely an important information. By the way, I wonder what an oxymeter costs...would be a useful tool for all of us....

grarena · Apr 27, 2020

They are very cheap. Less than $100

Tangerino · Apr 27, 2020

Does Airofit helps defending Corona virus by keeping the lungs active?

cdavis · Apr 28, 2020

Doubtful. Airofit and similar training improve ability of the chest muscles to move air in and out of the lungs. Cororavirus attacks the lungs themselves. Stronger chest muscles might help you breath if you have a very severe case, but doesn't affect what makes coronavirus so deadly.

cdavis · Apr 30, 2020

More info becoming available on longer term effects that should effect freedivers. A good read in the new commentary on diving and coronovirus. More detail, same source;

Learn to scuba dive | Get your scuba certification | Scuba diving lessons | Online scuba training | Learn to dive rebreathers | Scuba diving schools | Scuba vacations | Underwater photography | Diver training program

RAID is a dedicated, e-learning, recreational rebreather and open circuit training programme covering a range of educational courses from Level 1 to Instructor Trainer. Learn to Scuba dive - RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

www.diveraid.com

The really scary part is a report on divers that showed a considerable fraction with reduced pulmonary function(and hypoxemia) several weeks after seeming full recovery. Long but worth the read.

Leander · Aug 12, 2020

We're now months into the pandemic. Here in Greece they opened the borders to tourism early July and already it is backfiring, there are now new-case-records almost every day. Still low numbers, but shocking for Greece as it boasted in the media and in international advertisement campaigns about being invincible. The summer temperatures don't seem to slow down the spread, or perhaps the temperatures are offset by the mass gatherings on beaches, in restaurants and clubs. So it's here to stay and with the neglecting and uninformed behaviour of the actual majority here (locals and tourists alike) when it comes to masks, social distance, etc, the risk now for serious spread now became real.

So this brings me to reopen this thread.

With the massive number of cases in the US and UK, I'm sure many of us on DB got in contact with the virus. How are you doing? And how is it limiting your diving?
And for the ones who mentioned in the beginning of this thread the same questions. Now months later you have recovered unless you got it again. Do you now after recovery still see effect on your diving or is it back to normal?

cdavis · Aug 12, 2020

Leander said:
We're now months into the pandemic. Here in Greece they opened the borders to tourism early July and already it is backfiring, there are now new-case-records almost every day. Still low numbers, but shocking for Greece as it boasted in the media and in international advertisement campaigns about being invincible. The summer temperatures don't seem to slow down the spread, or perhaps the temperatures are offset by the mass gatherings on beaches, in restaurants and clubs. So it's here to stay and with the neglecting and uninformed behaviour of the actual majority here (locals and tourists alike) when it comes to masks, social distance, etc, the risk now for serious spread now became real.

So this brings me to reopen this thread.

With the massive number of cases in the US and UK, I'm sure many of us on DB got in contact with the virus. How are you doing? And how is it limiting your diving?
And for the ones who mentioned in the beginning of this thread the same questions. Now months later you have recovered unless you got it again. Do you now after recovery still see effect on your diving or is it back to normal?

I recovered from the main symptoms months ago, but only recently has my 02 saturation looked mostly normal. I still get weird intermittent drops in both heart rate and saturation, never at the same time, very short term, no pattern to them that I can see. No symptoms. I wouldn't know there was an issue without the oxymeter. Last time I went diving was late June(1 week trip) and 50 ft dives felt like 90 ft in my lungs, not at all right. I dive half lung so 90 is approaching my equalization limit. Dives seemed to shake loose a bunch of mucus and I thought that must be a good thing, but my saturation was worse when I got back from the trip.

Going diving this weekend, will report back.

I'd love to hear from some other divers.

7BDiver · Aug 12, 2020

If anyone is interested in some research correlating outbreaks among certain populations, especially in the region of Italy here is an interesting one to read. The main stream media has always loved the narrative that populations with the most mask use had lower infection rates, but the reality is one more complex and many more variables.

Vitamin D deficiency and co-morbidities in COVID-19 patients – A fatal relationship?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7276229/

7BDiver · Aug 12, 2020

Furthermore, if you are seriously into reading these articles will describe why Vitamin D is essential to immune regulation and innate immunity against viral infections. To summarize, healthy plasmyactoid dendritic cells in the bones create the Type 1 interferons which are the first line of defense against viruses. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that can be toxic if overconsumed leading to bone marrow fibrosis and other health issues. You can have more fun reading into the 9 ways viruses try to evade or delay interferon response.

Regulation of Dendritic Cell Function by Vitamin D
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586578/

Type I and Type III Interferons – Induction, Signaling, Evasion, and Application to Combat COVID-19
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7255347/

Plasmacytoid dendritic cell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmacytoid_dendritic_cell

cdavis · Aug 15, 2020

cdavis said:
I recovered from the main symptoms months ago, but only recently has my 02 saturation looked mostly normal. I still get weird intermittent drops in both heart rate and saturation, never at the same time, very short term, no pattern to them that I can see. No symptoms. I wouldn't know there was an issue without the oxymeter. Last time I went diving was late June(1 week trip) and 50 ft dives felt like 90 ft in my lungs, not at all right. I dive half lung so 90 is approaching my equalization limit. Dives seemed to shake loose a bunch of mucus and I thought that must be a good thing, but my saturation was worse when I got back from the trip.

Going diving this weekend, will report back.

I'd love to hear from some other divers.

Dived today, an hour in 50-60 ft. Felt great, no lung issues at all, Yeah!!!!

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