Long-term respiratory consequences after severe Covid-19 pneumonia: a 12-month follow-up from an observational prospective cohort study
Full Text
Share
Background: The new SARS-CoV-2 virus causes a respiratory syndrome that, although it resolves
completely in most of the population, in some patients may evolve to a severe state. Of those, a
minor percentage will suffer persistence of symptoms, poor quality of life, impaired lung function
and/or worse exercise capacity. Also, CT scan imaging in those patients show some kind of
interstitial lesion degree, which may or may not evolve into pulmonary fibrosis. But because the
pandemic is too recent and, therefore, follow-up studies are too short, there is not enough
evidence to make a clear statement on the long term respiratory consequences of COVID-19.
Objectives: The aim of this project is (i) to find out the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis among
patients with post severe COVID-19 pneumonia. As secondary objectives we want (ii) to assess
their 12-month evolution regarding quality of life, respiratory function and exercise capacity and
(iii) to investigate whether older people have a higher risk of developing interstitial lesion than
younger people