Background COVID-19 patients develop hypolipidemia. However, it is unknown whether lipid levels have improved and there are potential sequlae in recovered patients. Objective In this follow-up study, we evaluated serum lipidemia and various physiopathological laboratory values in recovered patients. Methods A 3–6 month follow-up study was performed between June 15 and September 3, 2020, to examine serum levels of laboratory values in 107 discharged COVID-19 patients (mild = 59; severe/critical = 48; diagnoses on admission). Sixty-one patients had a revisit chest CT scan. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze changes in laboratory values at admission and follow-up. Results LDL-c and HDL-c levels were significantly higher at follow-up than at admission in severe/critical cases ( p < 0.05). LDL-c levels were significantly higher at follow-up than at admission in mild cases ( p < 0.05). Coagulation and liver functional values were significantly improved at follow-up than at admission for patients ( p < 0.05). Increases in HDL-c significantly correlated with increases in numbers of white blood cells ( p < 0.001) during patients’ recovery. With exclusion of the subjects taking traditional Chinese medicines or cholesterol-lowering drugs, LDL-c and HDL-c levels were significantly increased at follow-up than at admission in severe/critical cases ( p < 0.05). Residue lesions were observed in CT images in 72% (44 of 61) of follow-up patients. Conclusions Improvements of LDL-c, HDL-c, liver functions, and incomplete resolution of lung lesions were observed at 3–6 month follow-up for recovered patients, indicating that a long-term recovery process could be required and the development of sequelae such as pulmonary fibrosis could be expected in some patients.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, CT, cholesterol, LDL-C, Follow-up, HDL-C, Residue lesions, 【초록키워드】 pulmonary fibrosis, drugs, Traditional Chinese medicine, Laboratory, improvement, serum, White blood cell, Patient, recovered patients, Admission, liver, patients, diagnose, chest CT scan, COVID-19 patient, lung lesion, follow-up study, lesion, Serum level, subject, functions, exclusion, objective, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, significantly increased, Result, was used, develop, significantly, evaluated, was performed, functional, increase, changes in, correlated, significantly higher, expected, discharged, increases in, mild case, 【제목키워드】 serum, profile, recovered COVID-19 patient,