Across the Channel, an opera house has launched a singing program for patients recovering from the disease induced by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This personalized six-week program helps these patients breathe easier.
Some Covid-19 patients have returned to normal health within weeks. Others, on the other hand, are plagued by problems persisting for several months after they heal or to damage that may lead to other health problems in the future. In September 2020, St James's Hospital in Dublin (Ireland), for example, conducted a study on persistent fatigue affecting some patients for months following their recovery. This is called "long Covid", the medium and long-term consequences of which remain little known.
In order to prevent and counter the effects of the long Covid, the English National Opera in London (United Kingdom) offers personalized singing lessons , whose objective is to help patients during their convalescence. Called ENO Breathe, this program was developed by Imperial College NHS Trust. Patients work on their posture, perform breathing exercises , warm up their voices and exercise their facial muscles.
Obviously, the sessions are not done face-to-face, but via Zoom , the videophone application. Singing professionals usually training singers from the Royal Academy of Music in particular, provide these courses online. For those responsible for the project, the objective is to help patients use their lung capacity in the best way, a capacity sometimes undermined by the coronavirus. The program also teaches them how to better manage their anxiety. “If you are experiencing a moment of deep breathlessness associated with anxiety, there are exercises you can do to help slow and regulate your breathing and give your brain a chance to catch up ”, explains Suzi Zumpe, director of the project.
The idea for the ENO Breathe program germinated in the summer of 2020 when the first cases of long Covid appeared. Remember that in addition to chronic fatigue, this disease can cause chest pain and shortness of breath . Jenny Mollica, manager at English National Opera, thought her institution might be able to help.
Take the case of 56-year-old Cameron. The man is taking singing lessons prescribed to him by his doctor as part of his recovery. Having contracted the coronavirus in March 2020, he had unfortunately developed an acute form of the disease characterized by the appearance of blood clots and breathing problems. According to him, the ENO Breathe program is a great help, both physically and mentally.
Today the program extends to other post-Covid clinics in the UK. The English National Opera ultimately wants to follow around a thousand patients. A randomized study is being prepared with the aim of measuring the effects of this therapy by singing.
