LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For those who catch COVID-19, their road to recovery could be long and challenging, even after they leave the hospital.
Dr. George Tu with the Lung Center of Nevada has been taking care of patients and their lungs for decades.
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"I've been through SARS, I've been through H1N1," said Tu. "[COVID-19] is certainly broader in terms of severity and unpredictability."
Dr. Tu is prepared for a wave of patients impacted by COVID-19. The Lung Center of Nevada provides services for patients with pulmonary issues, including anybody with lung cancer, pneumonia, asthma, and now COVID-19.
The new respiratory virus can cause a range of breathing problems even after patients leave the hospital.
"Most of the time they come in with a chronic cough, what's called a post-infectious cough," said Tu. "That's the most common symptom we see."
Tu says some may patients may even need to be put on oxygen for several months, and those are just the patients who come to him. Others may experience PTSD, anxiety, even cognitive issues. Dr. Tu says with COVID-19, a patient's road to recovery doesn't end when they leave the hospital.
Dr. Tu says they have not seen a major increase in patients right now, but they expect that to change as COVID-19 patients start to leave the hospital.
