A World Health Organization (WHO) decreed the end of the health emergency in Covid-19however, according to research conducted by University of São Paulo (USP) and published in the scientific journal The Lancet, around 90% of people who have been infected by the virus are at risk of developing lung problems associated with the disease even years after being discharged from hospital.
The study, carried out with 237 patients who were hospitalized at the Clinical Hospital from the USP Faculty of Medicine (FMUSP) in São Paulo, revealed that 92.4% of them presented some type of respiratory compromise after recovering from the disease. This includes severe cases, such as signs of lung inflammation and the development of fibrosis. The analysis was carried out from 18 to 24 months after hospital discharge of patients diagnosed with covid-19.
A study indicates that pulmonary repercussions after severe cases of Covid-19 may remain with patients for a long time. Photograph: Soloviova Liudmyla/Adobe Stock
It is worth highlighting that the research, coordinated by professor Carlos Carvalho, head of the Pulmonology discipline at FMUSP, only considered patients who were hospitalized between March and August 2020, a period in which there was still no vaccine available against the disease. Covid-19. Furthermore, all study participants were diagnosed with severe cases of the disease.
Another point confirmed by the study is that longer hospital stays, as well as the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and advancing age, were determining factors for the development of late injuries, such as pulmonary fibrosis – a condition caused by injuries to the lungs followed by healing problems, resulting in progressive shortness of breath and frequent dry cough.
Despite pre-existing diseases such as obesity and the hypertension Although they are considered risk factors that negatively impact the lung health of patients with Covid-19, the study also found that there was no association between comorbidities and the development of late pulmonary fibrosis in patients infected with the coronavirus.
To Jornal da USP, Carvalho highlighted that the post-covid period still represents a challenge for the medical and scientific community, which continues to update itself and discover new aspects about the chronic phase of the disease. “Due to the non-homogeneous evolution of patients with post-covid-19 sequelae, it is crucial maintain long-term monitoring your lung health”, advised Carvalho.
Tags: Postcovid lung sequelae progress years hospital discharge USP research shows
