Three-month pulmonary function and radiological outcomes in COVID-19 survivors: a longitudinal patient cohort study

Pulmonary function 3-6 months after acute COVID-19: A systematic review and multicentre cohort study

Aims

To describe pulmonary function 3-6 months following acute COVID-19, to evaluate potential predictors of decreased pulmonary function and to review literature for the effect of COVID-19 on pulmonary function.

Materials and methods

A systematic review and cohort study were conducted. Within the P4O2 COVID-19 cohort, 95 patients aged 40-65 years were recruited from outpatient post-COVID-19 clinics in five Dutch hospitals between May 2021-September 2022. At 3-6 months post COVID-19, medical records data and biological samples were collected and questionnaires were administered. In addition, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including spirometry and transfer factor, were performed. To identify factors associated with PFTs, linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusted for covariates.

Results

In PFTs (n = 90), mean ± SD % of predicted was 89.7 ± 18.2 for forced vital capacity (FVC) and 79.8 ± 20.0 for transfer factor for carbon monoxide (DLCO). FVC was

Conclusion

A low DLCO 3-6 months following acute COVID-19 was observed more often than a low FVC, both in the P4O2 COVID-19 study and the literature review.

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Key Words

• Long COVID
• Post COVID-19
• Pulmonary function
• Transfer factor for carbon monoxide

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Affiliation(s)

Merel E.B. Cornelissen Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Asabi Leliveld Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Nadia Baalbaki Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Debbie Gach Department of Respiratory Medicine, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
Ivo van der Lee Department of Pulmonology, Spaarne Hospital, the Netherlands
Esther J. Nossent Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Lizan D. Bloemsma Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Anke H. Maitland-van der Zee Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Factors associated with small airway obstruction in COVID-19 survivors: A cross-sectional study among health-care providers

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been identified for more than two years, yet studies assessing post-infection lung function are limited. Reports on lung function in COVID-19 patients indicate that patients have restrictive defects and small airway dysfunction that can persist and are not necessarily related to the severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of small airway obstruction and its incidence-associated factors among COVID-19 survivors to better describe the long-term effects of COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted among COVID-19 survivors who less than 50 years at Medan Adventist Hospital between 2020-2022. The data were collected through interview, direct assessment and respiratory examination. A total of 89 COVID-19 survivors were recruited of which the majority of them were female with a mean age of 32.6-year-old with the largest group was 19-30 years. The comorbidities found among the survivors were heart and thyroid disorders, with the most common symptom of post-COVID-19 was fatigue. Most of them had mild COVID-19. The mean forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF25-75%) was 96.3±20.22, with an incidence rate of small airway obstruction was 19.1%. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated no significant association between age, gender, comorbidities, history of oxygenation during COVID-19 treatment, COVID-19 severity and the type of post COVID-19 syndrome symptoms with the incidence of small airway obstruction. In conclusion, among COVID-19 survivors who were less than 50 years old, those studied variables seems have less association with the incidence of small airway obstruction. Nevertheless, a further study with a bigger sample size is important to be conducted.

Systematic Review of the Prevalence of Long COVID

Background

Long COVID occurs in those infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) whose symptoms persist or develop beyond the acute phase. We conducted a systematic review to determine the prevalence of persistent symptoms, functional disability, or pathological changes in adults or children at least 12 weeks postinfection.

Methods

We searched key registers and databases from January 1, 2020 to November 2, 2021, limited to publications in English and studies with at least 100 participants. Studies in which all participants were critically ill were excluded. Long COVID was extracted as prevalence of at least 1 symptom or pathology, or prevalence of the most common symptom or pathology, at 12 weeks or later. Heterogeneity was quantified in absolute terms and as a proportion of total variation and explored across predefined subgroups (PROSPERO ID CRD42020218351).

Results

One hundred twenty studies in 130 publications were included. Length of follow-up varied between 12 weeks and 12 months. Few studies had low risk of bias. All complete and subgroup analyses except 1 had I² ≥90%, with prevalence of persistent symptoms range of 0%-93% (pooled estimate [PE], 42.1%; 95% prediction interval [PI], 6.8% to 87.9%). Studies using routine healthcare records tended to report lower prevalence (PE, 13.6%; PI, 1.2% to 68%) of persistent symptoms/pathology than self-report (PE, 43.9%; PI, 8.2% to 87.2%). However, studies systematically investigating pathology in all participants at follow up tended to report the highest estimates of all 3 (PE, 51.7%; PI, 12.3% to 89.1%). Studies of hospitalized cases had generally higher estimates than community-based studies.

Conclusions

The way in which Long COVID is defined and measured affects prevalence estimation. Given the widespread nature of SARS-CoV-2 infection globally, the burden of chronic illness is likely to be substantial even using the most conservative estimates.

Corrigendum to "The prevalence and long-term health effects of long Covid among hospitalised and non-hospitalised populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis"

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101762.].

Elevated Risk of Chronic Respiratory Conditions within 60 Days of COVID-19 Hospitalization in Veterans

SARS-CoV-2 infection prominently affects the respiratory system, and patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of developing respiratory conditions. We examined the risk of new respiratory conditions of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients in the national Veterans Health Administration between 15 February 2020 and 16 June 2021. The study cohort included all COVID-19-tested, hospitalized individuals who survived the index admission and did not have any previously diagnosed chronic respiratory conditions (asthma, bronchitis, chronic lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or venous thromboembolism) before SARS-CoV-2 testing. Of 373,048 patients hospitalized after SARS-CoV-2 testing, 18,686 positive and 37,372 negative patients met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were matched by age, sex, and race using propensity score matching. The results showed that the SARS-CoV-2 positive group had a greater risk of developing asthma (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.37), bronchitis (aOR = 2.81), chronic lung disease (aOR = 2.14), COPD (aOR = 1.56), emphysema (aOR = 1.52), and venous thromboembolism (aOR = 1.92) within 60 days after the index COVID date of testing. These findings could inform that the clinical care team considers a risk of new respiratory conditions and address these conditions in the post-hospitalization management of the patient, which could potentially lead to reduce the risk of complications and optimize recovery.

OUP accepted manuscript

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Conclusion

Thoracic imaging outcomes in COVID-19 survivors

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a significant global public health challenge. One in five individuals with COVID-19 presents with symptoms that last for weeks after hospital discharge, a condition termed "long COVID". Thus, efficient follow-up of patients is needed to assess the resolution of lung pathologies and systemic involvement. Thoracic imaging is multimodal and involves using different forms of waves to produce images of the organs within the thorax. In general, it includes chest X-ray, computed tomography, lung ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Such modalities have been useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19. These tools have also allowed for the follow-up and assessment of long COVID. This review provides insights on the effectiveness of thoracic imaging techniques in the follow-up of COVID-19 survivors who had long COVID.