A quarter of COVID-19 survivors had impaired lung function 1 year after infection, and older patients, those with more than three chronic conditions, and those with severe cases improved slower than other patients over time, a Dutch study published yesterday in PLOS One reveals.
A team led by University of Amsterdam researchers evaluated diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), spirometry results, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in 301 COVID-19 survivors who underwent at least one lung-function test from May 2020 to December 2021. Median patient age was 51 years, and 56% were men.
van Willigen HDG, Wynberg E, Verveen A, Dijkstra M, Verkaik BJ, Figaroa OJA, et al. (2023) One-fourth of COVID-19 patients have an impaired pulmonary function after 12 months of disease onset. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0290893. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290893