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Published on: November 10, 2023
Short and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Previous Respiratory Diseases
Eusebi Chiner-Vives1, Rosa Cordovilla-Pérez2, David de la Rosa-Carrillo3
1Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit, Respiratory Department, Sant Joan University Hospital, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
Insights
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly worsens pre-existing lung conditions like asthma and COPD. This review details how COVID-19 impacts individuals with these chronic respiratory comorbidities.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, affecting millions globally.
- A significant percentage of hospitalized COVID-19 patients (75%) have pre-existing comorbidities.
- Individuals with chronic illnesses, particularly lung diseases, face a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing lung comorbidities.
- To highlight how COVID-19 infection can exacerbate conditions such as asthma, COPD, and interstitial lung disease.
- To inform healthcare providers about the specific risks and challenges faced by patients with combined respiratory and COVID-19 diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on COVID-19 and respiratory comorbidities.
- Analysis of reported symptoms and disease severity in patients with pre-existing lung conditions.
- Synthesis of information on the interaction between COVID-19 and conditions like asthma, COPD, and interstitial lung disease.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 infection can lead to the worsening of pre-existing respiratory diseases.
- Patients with lung comorbidities are more susceptible to severe COVID-19, including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- The severity of COVID-19's impact on the respiratory system is influenced by factors like age, immune status, and the presence of comorbidities.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 poses a significant threat to individuals with pre-existing lung conditions, often leading to disease exacerbation.
- Understanding the interplay between COVID-19 and lung comorbidities is crucial for effective patient management and treatment strategies.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term respiratory consequences for patients who had COVID-19 with underlying lung diseases.
Abstract:
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. Till now, it affected 452.4 million (Spain, 11.18 million) persons all over the world with a total of 6.04 million of deaths (Spain, 100,992). It is observed that 75% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one COVID-19 associated comorbidity. It was shown that people with underlying chronic illnesses are more likely to get it and grow seriously ill. Individuals with COVID-19 who have a past medical history of cardiovascular disorder, cancer, obesity, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or neurological disease had the worst prognosis and are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia. COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system in a variety of ways and across a spectrum of levels of disease severity, depending on a person's immune system, age and comorbidities. Symptoms can range from mild, such as cough, shortness of breath and fever, to critical disease, including respiratory failure, shock and multi-organ system failure. So, COVID-19 infection can cause overall worsening of these previous respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, etc. This review aims to provide information on the impact of the COVID-19 disease on pre-existing lung comorbidities.
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