This article is translated from New Advice Cautions Against Rushed Return to Diving for Coronavirus Patients
An article published on April 15 by German magazine Wetnotes addressed the potential problems divers may face after contracting COVID-19 [1].
The article's author is Dr. Frank Hartig, currently serving as a senior consultant and COVID-19 crisis response officer at a university in Austria, and himself a scuba diver. In the article, he outlines a number of ways COVID-19 may affect divers.
What we know so far is that COVID-19 has caused massive outbreaks in many countries around the world.
The Effects of COVID-19
The full name of this coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). Viruses of this type primarily attack the lungs, causing severe acute respiratory syndrome. While it may seem premature to draw conclusions about long-term pulmonary outcomes for a new virus, current cases have already revealed a number of negative effects on the body — lung damage such as pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) [3] have been widely documented in current research. Beyond the lungs, the coronavirus can also attack other organs, including the heart; however, cardiac damage of this kind may only be discovered after a detailed cardiac examination is performed.
Although there is still much to learn about COVID-19, within the world of diving we can be certain that abnormalities in the cardiovascular system can have very serious consequences for divers underwater — potentially fatal ones.
Photographer: Pia, Source: Pexels
Observations
The article describes six active divers who participated in the study. These divers were all hospitalised after contracting COVID-19 and were discharged after recovery once confirmed virus-free. Several weeks later, they returned to the hospital for a health check-up. While each appeared outwardly healthy, their reports revealed a number of concerns.
The first examination took place five to six weeks after recovery. Of the six divers, two showed signs of hypoxia under exertion — consistent with symptoms of a persistent pulmonary shunt; another two displayed bronchial hyperreactivity during exercise, similar to exercise-induced asthma. CT scans of four of the six patients showed significant pulmonary changes. After this first round of examinations, none of the six divers were medically cleared to dive.
Exercise-induced asthma is a contraindication for diving, as is a pulmonary shunt. To put it in layman's terms, a pulmonary shunt occurs when blood passing through the lungs fails to pick up sufficient oxygen, resulting in systemic hypoxia. This typically happens when there is fluid in the lungs, or as a result of pneumonia or pulmonary oedema [2] — all of which have long been recognised as leading causes of diver fatalities.
At this stage, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients warrant further research and discussion. However, Dr. Hartig's article strongly advises divers who have contracted COVID-19 to avoid returning to the water until a comprehensive medical evaluation has been completed — even if they appear to have made a full recovery. This is particularly important for younger patients, who tend to recover from COVID-19 more quickly and may therefore be tempted to jump back into diving before their bodies are truly ready.
Personal Reflections
I came across this journal article shared on a diving website and decided to translate it so that others could take note of its findings. Having read it, I don't think there is any need for panic — it's worth waiting for more detailed research to emerge. That said, anyone who holds a dive certification should already know that whenever there has been a significant change to your health, you should consult a medical professional and undergo a thorough check-up before getting back in the water. COVID-19 is no exception.
Although the above is simply a translation, in addition to the original German article I also tracked down several research papers and articles related to COVID-19 and the topics covered. Feel free to click through for further reading.
[1] Frank Hartig, 2020, WETNOTES · Nr. 36, Tauchen nach Covid-19-Erkrankung?
[2] [Physiology] Ventilation-Perfusion Mismatch — What Is a "Shunt"?
Image credit: Photographer: Pia, Source: Pexels
Original article: Can You Still Dive After Contracting COVID-19?
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