Some COVID-19 patients see persistent lung disease 6 months after infection

Radiographic and physiologic signs of lung disease persist for up to 6 months after infection from COVID-19, reports a recent study.

The study included 51 COVID-19 patients, of whom 30 needed hospitalizations. Full pulmonary function tests (PFT) were carried out at 3 and 6 months, along with cardiopulmonary exercise testing, to assess the long-term sequelae of COVID-19. The primary outcomes were the mean differences in forced vital capacity (FVC), diffuse capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and oxygen consumption (VO²).

None of the lung function measures were significantly different at 3 vs 6 months. FVC increased slightly from 96.2 to 97.6 percent of predicted, as did DLCO (73.74 to 78.5 percent of predicted) and VO² (75.5 to 76.1 percent of predicted).

Participants were then classified into five subgroups according to lung disease status: no lung disease (n=16), resolved COVID-19-related lung disease (n=11), persistent COVID-19 lung disease (n=8), PFT abnormalities attributable to pre-existing lung disease (n=9), and mild PFT abnormalities of uncertain clinical significance (n=7).

All eight patients with persistent COVID-19 lung disease were hospitalized at the time of assessment, and half were admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Crude analysis revealed that D-dimer levels ≥250 ng/L, ICU admission, hypertension, and diabetes were significant correlates to COVID-19-related pulmonary abnormalities persisting until the 6-month follow-up.

“Our results highlight the need for longer-term follow-up of patients with lung function abnormalities post-COVID to gain a better understanding of long-term physiological and functional outcomes,” the researchers said.