Impact of COVID-19 on Respiratory Function: A Post-Recovery Comparative Assessment

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) involves persistent symptoms 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, often with respiratory and imaging changes.
• Understanding longitudinal pulmonary function changes in PCS is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate longitudinal changes in pulmonary function among patients with PCS.
• To correlate these changes with acute COVID-19 severity and time since infection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 97 adult PCS patients (Jan 2021-Dec 2022).
• Collected demographic, clinical, and functional data; performed Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) including FVC, FEV1, DLCO, KCO.
• Grouped patients by time post-infection (1-22 months) and analyzed data using Mann-Whitney U, Spearman correlation, ROC, and PCA.

Main Results:

• Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) improved up to 9-18 months post-infection; FEV1 remained stable, indicating a restrictive pattern.
• Moderate COVID-19 patients had lower FVC%, FEV1%, DLCO%, and KCO% than mild cases (p < 0.05).
• Diffusion abnormalities (DLCO, KCO) persisted beyond 12 months; TLC, AV, and KCO were key discriminators of residual dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Persistent respiratory symptoms post-COVID-19 represent a significant clinical challenge requiring dynamic monitoring.
• Functional respiratory changes necessitate personalized treatments and a multidisciplinary approach for effective management.
• This study highlights the emergence of long-term respiratory sequelae following COVID-19, impacting a substantial patient cohort.