Health
‘COVID paralyzed my diaphragm’: Marathon runner shares how the infection took his breath away
Someone with COVID-19 might expect to experience fatigue, cold and flu symptoms, and loss of taste and smell — but a paralyzed diaphragm would likely not be on the radar.
It was certainly a surprise to Gerald Branim, 55, a runner from Tennessee. His life took a drastic turn when COVID-19 damaged his lungs and diaphragm to the extent that he was unable to run or walk for a year.
Branim and his doctor, Matthew Kaufman of the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction in New Jersey, joined Fox News Digital in an interview to discuss Branim’s ordeal and recovery.
LARGEST-EVER COVID VACCINE STUDY LINKS SHOT TO SMALL INCREASE IN HEART AND BRAIN CONDITIONS
When Branim got COVID in Feb. 2021, he was a fit, healthy 52-year-old who ran marathons.
In spite of that, the infection caused significant lung damage. He spent two weeks in the hospital and three months out of work.
Gerald Branim, 55, was a marathon runner when he got COVID, which led to a paralyzed diaphragm that stopped him in his tracks. (Institute for Advanced Reconstruction)
For two months after leaving the hospital, Branim used a walker as he continued struggling with lung complications.
“For someone who had run marathons, it was quite humbling to have to walk with a walker for three months,” he said.
After rounds of high-dose steroids and lots of antibiotics, Branim’s chest X-rays finally showed that his lungs had cleared — but he was still having trouble functioning.
LONG COVID IS HIGHEST IN THESE STATES, SAYS NEW CDC REPORT
“I still couldn’t go upstairs without my oxygen dropping severely,” he recalled. “I couldn’t run 100 yards without my oxygen dropping into dangerous levels. I was severely out of breath.”
“That’s when they started saying something else was going on — that this shouldn’t be happening.”
“I couldn’t run 100 yards without my oxygen dropping into dangerous levels. I was severely out of breath.”
After 10 months of not being able to walk or run, Branim’s condition was finally diagnosed via a “sniff test,” which is also called a chest fluoroscopy or a video chest X-ray, where the patient is asked to breathe in and out.
Any paralysis will show up on the scan, as the diaphragm won’t move upon breathing.
What to know about diaphragm paralysis
Diaphragm paralysis — which is a “pretty rare condition,” according to Kaufman, Branim’s doctor — is paralysis of the diaphragm muscle, which is the primary breathing muscle.
Previous studies have estimated that the condition affects only about 1.31% of the population. In about 95% of cases, only one side is paralyzed, the doctor noted.
“We have two diaphragms, one on the right, one on the left,” he said.
Branim, far right, is pictured with his doctor, Matthew Kaufman, center, and another patient at the half-marathon they ran together after Branim’s surgery. (Institute for Advanced Reconstruction)
In cases where both sides are paralyzed, symptoms will be much more severe, usually requiring the patient to be put on oxygen.
“It’s become sort of a phenomenon,” Kaufman told Fox News Digital. “The phrenic nerve, which is the nerve that controls the diaphragm, seems to be an area where the COVID virus can have an impact.”
In some ways, he said, the condition can be considered part of long COVID, which is when symptoms of the virus linger for weeks, months or even years after infection.
SHOULD THE CDC DROP ITS 5-DAY COVID ISOLATION GUIDELINES? DOCTORS WEIGH IN
Most people with diaphragm paralysis won’t have difficulty breathing while sitting. Symptoms will typically emerge with exertion, such as walking or exercising, or when changing positions, such as lying flat in bed or bending over to tie their shoes, Kaufman said.
Some people are more susceptible than others, the doctor noted.
“We know that viruses tend to attack nerves in the body, as we’ve seen in Bell’s palsy,” he said. “And now we’re seeing it with COVID causing injury to the phrenic nerve.”
Branim set a goal of running a half-marathon within a year of his surgery date, which he achieved alongside his doctor in April 2023. (Institute for Advanced Reconstruction)
Because the condition is rare to begin with, he said, it’s not something that’s universally known.
“And then you take a condition like COVID, which causes respiratory symptoms from inflammation in the airways and lungs, and then you tie in what we consider to be a neuromuscular problem,” Kaufman said.
“A lot of times, the physician or patient will attribute it to airway inflammation, when in fact it’s a problem related to nerves and muscles that are part of the respiratory system.”
ASK A DOC: ‘WHEN IS A COUGH SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT?’
In some cases, patients will recover on their own, Kaufman said.
“We usually recommend a period of about six to 12 months of physical therapy, breathing exercises and cardiovascular fitness to try to see if this will come back on its own,” he said.
If improvement is not noticed in that time frame, surgical intervention becomes a possibility.
Branim emphasized the importance of patients serving as their own advocates. “Doctors are human — they don’t know everything,” he said. “So you have to advocate for yourself.” (Institute for Advanced Reconstruction)
In 2020 and 2021, Kaufman said he saw an uptick of patients who experienced diaphragm paralysis after having COVID. Although he is still seeing some cases, they are starting to trail off a bit.
“That could be because the classic COVID is not as virulent or severe,” he said. “Or maybe it’s because more people are immunized.”
Although the condition is generally not life-threatening, it can be more severe in patients who have existing respiratory conditions.
Racing toward recovery
After Branim’s diagnosis, his lung doctor advised him to continue to give it time to heal.
“But it wasn’t getting any better,” he said. “And I just wasn’t satisfied with that being my new quality of life.”
‘WELLNESS SHOTS’ AT HOME CAN HELP YOU BEAT THE COLD THAT’S HAMPERING YOU: TRY THE RECIPE
That’s when Branim turned to Google to research surgical options. He came across an article by Kaufman, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in an area called peripheral nerve microsurgery.
Kaufman specializes in conditions that cause either pain or paralysis due to nerve damage of the peripheral nervous system.
After meeting with Kaufman in a telehealth visit, Branim was identified as a prime candidate for the surgery, which is called phrenic nerve reconstruction.
“It wasn’t getting any better — and I just wasn’t satisfied with that being my new quality of life.”
If he had waited much longer, he said, his diaphragm muscle would have atrophied and the surgery would no longer have been possible.
After a lot of back and forth with the insurance company, Branim finally got the green light to travel from Nashville to New Jersey for the procedure.
The surgery went smoothly, although Branim was told that it wouldn’t be an immediate improvement. Once the nerve is fixed, the muscle still needs time to strengthen and rehabilitate.
Studies have estimated that the condition affects only about 1.31% of the population. In about 95% of cases, only one side is paralyzed. (Institute for Advanced Reconstruction)
“Dr. Kaufman told me that it would probably take a year or two to recover fully, and was preaching patience — but I’m not a patient man in the slightest sense of the word,” Branim laughed.
He set a goal of running a half-marathon within a year of his surgery date.
After four weeks, Branim slowly began exercising again. After six months, he decided to lace up his running shoes and give it a try.
“My very first run after the surgery, I ran five miles,” he said. “I literally cried. At that point, it was like a light switch had been flipped.”
MASK MANDATES RETURN TO HOSPITALS IN NYC, SEVERAL OTHER STATES AMID RISE IN COVID, FLU CASES
Within six months, Branim had not only regained his ability to run, but exceeded his original goals, culminating in a half-marathon in April 2023.
In a triumphant twist, Kaufman, who is also a runner, joined his patient in completing the race in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Now, Branim aims to raise awareness about diaphragm paralysis, an often-overlooked condition that is not on most doctors’ or patients’ radars.
Previous studies have estimated that the condition affects only about 1.31% of the population. In about 95% of cases, only one side is paralyzed. (iStock)
“None of my doctors had even heard of this surgery,” he said. “Had I not found the article about Dr. Kaufman and another runner online, I would have never been able to have the surgery — and I would absolutely not be running today.”
Branim emphasized the importance of patients serving as their own advocates.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Doctors are human — they don’t know everything,” he said. “So you have to advocate for yourself.”
For patients who are experiencing shortness of breath with exertion that persists for several months, Kaufman recommends visiting a primary care physician or pulmonary physician to get the necessary testing.
“While most tests will find more common ailments, it definitely makes sense to keep a paralyzed diaphragm on the list of things to rule out.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
Related Article
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A drug that has long been used to treat seizures has shown promise as a potential means of Alzheimer’s prevention, a new study suggests.
The anti-seizure medication, levetiracetam, was first approved by the FDA in November 1999 under the brand name Keppra as a therapy for partial-onset seizures in adults. The approval has since expanded to include children and other types of seizures.
Northwestern University researchers recently found that levetiracetam prevented the formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides, which are small protein fragments in the brain that are commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons, according to the study findings, which were published in Science Translational Medicine.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons. (iStock)
“While many of the Alzheimer’s drugs currently on the market, such as lecanemab and donanemab, are approved to clear existing amyloid plaques, we’ve identified this mechanism that prevents the production of the amyloid‑beta 42 peptides and amyloid plaques,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Savas, associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release.
“Our new results uncovered new biology while also opening doors for new drug targets.”
HIDDEN BRAIN CONDITION MAY QUADRUPLE DEMENTIA RISK IN OLDER ADULTS, STUDY SUGGESTS
The brain is better able to avoid the pathway that produces toxic amyloid‑beta 42 proteins in younger years, but the aging process gradually weakens that ability, Savas noted.
“This is not a statement of disease; this is just a part of aging. But in brains developing Alzheimer’s, too many neurons go astray, and that’s when you get amyloid-beta 42 production,” he said.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
That then leads to tau (“tangles”) — abnormal clumps of protein inside brain neurons — which can kill brain cells, trigger neuroinflammation and lead to dementia.
In order for levetiracetam to function as an Alzheimer’s blocker, high-risk patients would have to start taking it “very, very early,” Savas said — up to 20 years before elevated amyloid-beta 42 levels would be detected.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death,” the researcher noted.
The researchers also did a deep dive into previous human clinical data to determine whether Alzheimer’s patients who were taking the anti-seizure drug had slower cognitive decline. They reported that the patients in that category had a “significant delay” in the span from cognitive decline to death compared to those not taking the drug.
“This analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“Although the magnitude of change was small (on the scale of a few years), this analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” Savas said.
Looking ahead, the research team aims to find people who have genetic forms of Alzheimer’s to participate in testing, Savas said.
Limitations and caveats
The study had several limitations, including that it relied on animal models and cultured cells, with no human trials conducted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Because the study was observational in nature, it can’t prove that the medication caused the prevention of the toxic brain proteins, the researchers acknowledged.
Savas noted that levetiracetam “is not perfect,” cautioning that it breaks down in the body very quickly.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The team is currently working to create a “better version” that would last longer in the body and “better target the mechanism that prevents the production of the plaques.”
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death.”
The medication’s common documented side effects include drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, irritability, headache, loss of appetite and nasal congestion.
It has also been linked to potential mood and behavior changes, including anxiety, depression, agitation and aggression, according to the prescribing information. In rare cases, it could lead to severe allergic reactions, skin reactions, blood disorders and suicidal ideation.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
Fox News Digital reached out to the drug manufacturer and the researchers for comment.
Related Article
A 3-Step Plan to Give Your Diet, Fitness Routine and Mindset a Reset for Spring
Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’ movie review
The sea is higher than we thought and millions more are at risk, study finds
Video: U.S. ‘Accelerating’ Military Assault in Iran, Hegseth Says
On the brink of death, a woman is saved by a stranger and his family
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
US submarine sinks Iranian warship by torpedo in a first since World War II
Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former supreme leader, tipped to become Iran’s next head of state
Video: Senators Question Kristi Noem on ICE Immigration Tactics
Combustible Republican Senate primary in Texas heading into overtime
-
World7 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts7 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO7 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Florida3 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Oregon5 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Maryland3 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin