With the second wave hitting the nation twice as hard, central and state governments are grappling with scarce resources and insufficient vaccines. In light of this, the importance of adhering to guidelines and following safety precautions cannot be stressed enough. More recently, the Ministry of Health tweeted out a guide to proning, informing citizens that it could ‘aid to help you breathe better’ if they contract the virus. Here’s more about the the proning position.

What is proning?

Proning can be most simply defined as the process of positioning a patient from their back onto their abdomen in such a way that they are lying facing down. The position is believed to improve the individual’s breathing process and aid in oxygenation. Usually, it is used among medical circles to treat patients who are suffering from respiratory diseases.

How can it help with COVID-19?

During the pandemic, the procedure has been adopted to treating patients with the virus by using it as an alternative in cases where there is no ventilator available. Especially in the cases of patients who have breathing issues due to the Coronavirus, it helps as an easy method to regulate their oxygen levels. The method comes most in handy for patients who have chosen to isolate themselves at home with no external support.

How does self-proning work?

The Ministry of Health has also been spreading the word about how one can self-prone. According to these guidelines, you need around 4-5 pillows that need to be placed at various important parts of the body including below the neck, below the chest and upper thighs and below the shins. When practising it alone, it is important to regularly change the lying position and take care not to spend more than 30 minutes in each of them.