Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My dad is 55 years old and has a history of lung issues, so we are pretty worried. He has been feeling pretty rough lately. He has been coughing a lot and has this tightness in his chest. His doctor suspects he might have HMPV, and I have read it can lead to lung damage. We are not sure how to confirm it or how bad it could get. He has been struggling to catch his breath, and I do not know if we are waiting too long to seek help. What tests should we be looking for to see if his lungs are being affected? Is there anything we can do to speed up his recovery? Should he be avoiding any certain activities or triggers? We need some direction here because it feels like things are getting worse each day. What should he do if his chest tightness gets worse? Are there any treatments that are helping people recover faster from this?
Please help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
If it is a suspected case of HMPV (human metapneumovirus), which is a viral condition similar to covid where patients have difficulty breathing, sore throat, fatigue, and cough, which can be worsened in patients with underlying medical conditions, elderly and children.
The treatment plan includes:
Kindly take him to the hospital.
RDT (rapid diagnostic test) can be done to confirm.
If you are worried about lung damage, he can do a chest CT (computed tomography) scan.
If has shortness of breath, he can be nebulized. Thereafter, he should be placed on oxygen if his spo2 (oxygen saturation) is less than 92 percent.
All supportive care should be given to him.
He might need to take zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin C to boost his immunity.
People around him should use face masks. Ensure hand washing. It is a viral illness and within two weeks it should be resolved if there are no complications. There are no triggers to HMPV, he needs to go to the hospital and get urgent care.
I hope this has helped you.
Please feel free to reach me again, in case of further queries.
Thank you.
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Answered byDr. Abiola Oladele Sanni
Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team
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