[elric]

> You can do lung clearance easily on your own in the shower by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart or a bit wider, bending over as far as you can and coughing hard.

Adding to that -- as someone with a lifetime of lung issues: physiotherapists can help you cough up fluid/phlegm from your lungs. These are called "Airway Clearance Techniques" (ACTs). Depending on where the buildup is, we may be talking breathing techniques (e.g. deep inhale, hold, huff out), percussion etc. The goal is to bring up the gunk to the upper airway so it can be coughed out. Some of these techniques are easy to learn and perform on your own.

I don't know how useful or safe these are during viral infections, but I suspect "better out than in" applies equally well to all kinds of fluid in your lungs?

[DoreenMichele]

I originally brought up airway clearance because there's a ventilator shortage. I imagine "better out than in" is absolutely a very good rule of thumb for a condition causing the entire world to try to find ways to ramp up ventilator production. Doubly so for individuals who can't get access to a ventilator, so simply getting the phlegm and fluid out is their only real treatment option and it's one they may be wholly unaware of.