Objectives: The study aimed to assess the level of dyspnoea during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Methods: The online questionnaire was conducted among 204 Polish adult respondents with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. The level of dyspnoea was assessed by the modified Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea Scale in Polish. Results: Dyspnoea is most common in patients with severe COVID-19, and the prevalence of dyspnoea in the study population of patients with COVID-19 was low (34% respondents presented with dyspnoea with a score of 1 or higher). Conclusions: There is a need for further investigation and close monitoring of the extent of dyspnoea in different social groups, especially in the event of a prolonged pandemic and the emergence of further waves of COVID-19.

The type of non-professional or professional support received affects the quality of life of the patient and his caregivers. Social support is the type of interaction that is taken by the patient and his caregivers in a problematic, difficult, stressful or critical situation. Aim The aim of the study was to assess the impact of social support on the functioning of patients under nursing home care. Material and methods The study included 148 chronically ill patients under nursing home care. The study used the diagnostic survey method, the research technique was a questionnaire containing basic data about the respondent and the Social Support Scale (SWS) by Krystyna Kmiecik-Baran. Results The need to continue the causal treatment at home means that the main source of support for care beneficiaries are nurses who provide medical services at the patient's home, supported by doctors and family members of the patient. Patients rated the information support provided by nurses as the highest at 14.3 points and emotional support at 13.3 points. In the opinion of the surveyed patients, the value-added support provided was the lowest rated category by patients, 9.74 points. Instrumental support was also rated very poorly by the respondents (10.17 points). Conclusions Patients under home care highly appreciated the support provided to them by the nursing staff. Social support for a chronically ill person who requires constant care and care by the nursing staff is a form of direct impact that relieves stress and tension, minimizes the effects of the disease, directly affects the course of treatment and care, and prevents stigmatization.

The type of non-professional or professional support received affects the quality of life of the patient and their caregivers. Social support is the type of interaction that is taken by the patient and his caregivers in a problematic, difficult, stressful, or critical situation. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of social support on the functioning of patients under nursing home care. Material and methods: The study included 148 chronically ill patients under home nursing care. The study used the diagnostic survey method; the research technique was a questionnaire containing basic data about the respondent and the Social Support Scale (SWS) by Krystyna Kmiecik-Baran. Results: The need to continue the causal treatment at home means that the main source of support for care beneficiaries are nurses who provide medical services at the patient’s home, supported by doctors and family members of the patient. According to patients’ subjective assessment of the support they received from nurses, patients rated the informational support provided by nurses highest at 14.3 points and emotional support at 13.3 points (SD 1.776). on a scale where the maximum score was 16 points. In the opinion of the surveyed patients, the value-added support provided was the lowest-rated category by patients, 9.74 points (SD 2.505). Instrumental support was also rated very poorly by the respondents (10.17 points (SD 2.069). In each category, there was no statistically significant difference at the p < 0.05 level in the respondents’ evaluation, which means that the expressed opinion on each type of support from the highest to the lowest evaluation: informational, emotional, instrumental, and evaluative—overlapped in the patient group and the family group. Conclusions: Patients under home care highly appreciated the support provided to them by the nursing staff. Social support for a chronically ill person who requires constant care and care by the nursing staff is a form of direct impact that relieves stress and tension, minimizes the effects of the disease, directly affects the course of treatment and care, and prevents stigmatization.