Long-term effects of COVID-19 on the lungs

What is it about?

COVID-19 is an acute infection that primarily affects the lungs. It was first detected in December 2019, and quickly spread worldwide. COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths. Initially, most studies on COVID-19 focused on how the treat the disease. This study was one of the first to explore the long-term effects of COVID-19. The authors assessed lung health in patients 6 months after they were discharged from the hospital. They found that around 1 in 4 patients experienced fatigue. 1 in 5 patients experienced shortness of breath during physical activity. More than 40% of them had impaired lung function. Nearly 25% of them had defects in the lungs.

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Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The long-term effects of COVID-19 are unclear. The study shows that COVID-19 can affect the long-term, healthy function of the lungs. COVID-19 can reduce the lung's ability to provide the body with oxygen. Age and other health conditions like diabetes can influence the extent of lung damage. Patients can have lung defects even 6 months after they leave the hospital. These include fluid-filled pockets, lesions, and other defects. These defects heal more slowly if the initial COVID-19 infection was severe. Such problems affect the long-term health of the patients. They also greatly reduce their quality of life. KEY TAKEAWAY: Patients of COVID-19 can experience impaired lung function even 6 months after hospital discharge. Doctors need to follow-up with patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in the long-term.