Assessment of Long-Term Effects on Pulmonary Functions Between Severe and Non-Severe Convalescent COVID-19 Patients: A Single-Center Study in China

Abstract

Yan-Fen Tang,1,2,* Jun-Yan Han,2– 4,* Ai-Min Ren,1,2 Li Chen,1,2 Tian-Jiao Xue,1,2 Yong-Hong Yan,2– 4 Xi Wang,2– 4 Yu Wang,1,2 Rong-Hua Jin2,3,5 1Department of Respiratory, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China; 2National Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China; 4Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China; 5Changping Laboratory, Beijing, 102299, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Rong-Hua Jin, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8, Jingshun Dongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Fax [phone], Email [email protected] Yu Wang, Department of Respiratory, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8, Jingshun Dongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Fax [phone], Email [email protected]: To explore the long-term effects of SARS-Cov-2 infection on the pulmonary function in the severe convalescent COVID-19 patients for 6 to 9 months follow-up in Beijing, China.Methods: A total of 64 cases of COVID-19 patients were recruited for the study and discharged from the Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, for 6 to 9 months. COVID-19 patients were divided into non-severe (mild and moderate) and severe groups. The follow-up investigated the lung function tests, the novel coronavirus antibody (IgM and IgG), chest CT and blood tests.Results: About 25.00% (16/64) patients had pulmonary ventilation dysfunction and 35.9% (23/64) had diffusion dysfunction. In the severe group, 56.50% (13/23) individuals showed decreased diffusion function. The diffusion dysfunction of the severe group was significantly decreased than the non-severe group (P = 0.01). Among 56 cases, the positive rate of IgG titers was 73.2% (41/56). The result of chest CT showed 55.36% (31/56) cases in nodules, 44.64% (25/56) in strip-like changes, 37.5% (21/56) in-ground glass shadow, and 5.36% (3/56) in grid shadow, which was significantly different between the severe group and the non-severe group. Patients tended to have ground glass changes in the severe group while nodules in the non-severe group.Conclusion: For the 6 to 9 months in convalescent COVID-19 patients, 56.50% (13/23) of severe patients had pulmonary diffusion dysfunction. Convalescent COVID-19 patients should have their pulmonary function regularly tested, especially those with severe illness.Keywords: COVID-19, pulmonary function, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, severe patients, chest CT, follow-up

Keywords

• covid-19
• pulmonary function
• sars-cov-2 antibody
• severe patients
• chest ct
• follow-up.