Abstract
Background: After the 2002/2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, 30% of survivors exhibited persisting structural pulmonary abnormalities. The long-term pulmonary sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are yet unknown, and comprehensive clinical follow-up data are lacking.
Methods: In this prospective, multicentre, observational study, we systematically evaluated the cardiopulmonary damage in subjects recovering from COVID-19 at 60 and 100 days after confirmed diagnosis. We conducted a detailed questionnaire, clinical examination, laboratory testing, lung function analysis, echocardiography and thoracic low-dose computed tomography (CT).
Results: Data from 145 COVID-19 patients were evaluated, and 41% of all subjects exhibited persistent symptoms 100 days after COVID-19 onset, with dyspnoea being most frequent (36%). Accordingly, patients still displayed an impaired lung function, with a reduced diffusing capacity in 21% of the cohort being the most prominent finding. Cardiac impairment, including a reduced left ventricular function or signs of pulmonary hypertension, was only present in a minority of subjects. CT scans unveiled persisting lung pathologies in 63% of patients, mainly consisting of bilateral ground-glass opacities and/or reticulation in the lower lung lobes, without radiological signs of pulmonary fibrosis. Sequential follow-up evaluations at 60 and 100 days after COVID-19 onset demonstrated a vast improvement of symptoms and CT abnormalities over time.
Conclusion: A relevant percentage of post-COVID-19 patients presented with persisting symptoms and lung function impairment along with radiological pulmonary abnormalities >100 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, our results indicate a significant improvement in symptoms and cardiopulmonary status over time.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04416100 .
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus disease, pulmonary fibrosis, Cardiopulmonary, Diagnosis, Symptom, Laboratory testing, Computed tomography, ground-glass opacity, Cohort, outbreak, low-dose, CT scan, Lung function, Patient, multicentre, Follow-up, questionnaire, patients, Lung pathology, Dyspnoea, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac, Analysis, Thoracic, COVID-19 patient, acute respiratory syndrome, subject, Abnormalities, impairment, clinical examination, abnormality, survivor, radiological, lung lobes, evaluated, conducted, reduced, exhibited, subjects, demonstrated, all subject, diagnosis of COVID-19, diffusing, impaired lung function, post-COVID-19 patient, recovering from COVID-19, ventricular, 【제목키워드】 Trial, multicentre,