Follow-up Study of Pulmonary Function, Exercise Capacity and Radiological Changes after Recovery from Moderate to Severe COVID Pneumonia without Mechanical Ventilation.

BACKGROUND: The long-term effects of COVID on the lungs remain unclear, but, given the extent of the pandemic, it has the potential to become a significant chronic global health problem .Aim of our study was to ascertain the proportion of patients with moderate to severe pneumonia but without mechanical ventilation who have compromised exercise capacity, pulmonary function test and presence of radiological abnormalities and to study any correlation between clinical features with radiological abnormalities. METHODS: In a hospital-based study, COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe pneumonia were followed 3 months after discharge and assessed with chest computed tomography (CT) imaging, 6 minute walk test and pulmonary function tests. RESULTS: A total of 102 participants were enrolled, including64 patients who had recovered from moderate disease and 38 patients from severe COVID-19. The patients with critical disease and who required mechanical ventilation or who had previously known chronic lung disease were excluded. High proportion of patients of both groups showed radiological abnormalities and deranged pulmonary function tests 3 months after recovery from acute illness which had significant correlation with severity of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary function and radiological abnormalities remained in significant propotion of patients 3 months after recovery from COVID-19 that needs more attention on pulmonary rehabilitation and long term follow up of these patients.