Breathing difficulties after covid-19: a guide for primary care

Breathing difficulties can present in several ways, including breathlessness or pressure, tightness, soreness, and pain or burning in the chest. These symptoms can be associated with considerable distress. The general multisystem approach and investigation of breathlessness tends to be similar despite the interval between healthcare presentation and infection. Although there is some natural recovery in persisting symptoms between four to 12 weeks, it is difficult to predict at an individual level, and early support is often needed.7Box 1 describes a typical patient narrative.