Unilateral Diaphragm Paralysis Following COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

We report a patient case of unilateral diaphragm paralysis following COVID-19 infection. A 55-year-old healthy man was infected with SARS-CoV-2 before the availability of a vaccine. He was intubated and pronated for respiratory failure. He experienced new debilitating dyspnea and orthopnea for 6 months after recovery. Dynamic chest radiography demonstrated a new hemidiaphragm paralysis. After surgical plication of the diaphragm, the patient's symptoms resolved. This patient case demonstrates the importance of thorough evaluation for diaphragm paralysis in patients who have suffered COVID-19 infection when there is persistent dyspnea or orthopnea, as well as the neuroinvasive potential of the virus that has yet to be fully explained.