Long-term respiratory consequences of COVID-19 related pneumonia: a cohort study (2023)
Most patients improved their clinical condition, pulmonary function, exercise capacity and quality of life one year after discharge. Nonetheless, pulmonary fibrotic-like changes were observed during the follow-ups.
In this study, we analysed the respiratory consequences of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized because of pneumonia who required NIRT [non-invasive respiratory therapy]. In our cohort, dyspnoea, quality of life, pulmonary function, and exercise capacity improved between the 3- and 12-month visits. However, HRCT scans showed that the percentage of patients with fibrotic-like changes increased six and 12 months after discharge with respect to the initial evaluation at the 3-month follow-up. The high percentage of fibrotic-like changes observed in our study, compared to a previous meta-analysis could be explained by the fact that all patients included suffered a respiratory failure requiring NIRT and that severity has been clearly associated with fibrotic-like changes in COVID-19 patients.
A silent march-Post covid fibrosis in asymptomatics – A cause for concern? (2023)
We report a case series of patients presenting with undiagnosed pulmonary fibrosis as a primary manifestation. On evaluation, after excluding other causes, the fibrosis was attributed to asymptomatic or mild COVID illness in the past.
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients seemingly recovered from COVID-19 (2003)
“Despite apparent virological remission, lung pathology was similar to that observed in acute COVID-19 individuals, including micro- and macro-vascular thrombosis (67% of cases), vasculitis (24%), squamous metaplasia of the respiratory epithelium (30%), frequent cytological abnormalities and syncytia (67%), and the presence of dysmorphic features in the bronchial cartilage (44%).”
