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Although the severity of the initial infection can vary widely, new research suggests that it does not help determine who is most likely to suffer from symptoms in the long term.
To date, little is known about lung health following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19.
But now researchers at Trinity College Dublin have presented a new study to assess lung function and respiratory symptoms in patients across the full range of initial severity of Covid-19.
The team found that while symptoms such as fatigue, poor health and shortness of breath were all common symptoms after Covid-19, they did not appear to be related to the severity of the initial infection.
In a peer-reviewed article published today (January 8) in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, the study looked at a number of recovery measures for 153 patients who were followed in an outpatient clinic with a median of 75 days after their Covid- 19 diagnoses.
Research found that 62% of patients felt they did not return to full health, while 47% were classified as suffering from fatigue. However, the results suggest that Covid-19 does not cause significant fibrosis, with lung scarring seen on CT scans of just 4% of participants.
Surprising results
Although the results show a significant symptom burden, the rate of objective abnormal findings is relatively low. According to the researchers, this suggests that there is no simple diagnostic test for the long-term symptoms.
These results add to previously published work, which suggests that there is no simple diagnostic test for so-called long-distance symptoms, and that the diagnosis is based on symptoms reported by the patient.
Dr Liam Townsend, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin who led the research, said the team were surprised by the results. “We expected more abnormal chest x-rays. We also expected the measures of current health status and abnormal results to be related to the severity of the initial infection, which was not the case, ”he said.
“Our results have implications for clinical care, in that they demonstrate the importance of monitoring all patients diagnosed with Covid-19, regardless of the severity of the initial infection. It is not possible to predict who will have persistent symptoms. “
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