Long-term respiratory consequences after severe Covid-19 pneumonia: a 12-month follow-up from an observational prospective cohort study

Abstract

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