Mexican Hispanics show significant improvement in lung function approximately 1 year after having severe COVID-19.

Abstract

The long-term effects of COVID-19 on lung function are not understood, especially for periods extending beyond 1 year after infection. This observational, longitudinal study investigated lung function in Mexican Hispanics who experienced severe COVID-19, focusing on how the length of recovery affects lung function improvements. At a specialized COVID-19 follow-up clinic in Yucatan, Mexico, lung function and symptoms were assessed in patients who had recovered from severe COVID-19. We used z-scores, and Wilcoxon's signed rank test to analyse changes in lung function over time. Lung function was measured twice in 82 patients: the first and second measurements were taken a median of 94 and 362 days after COVID-19 diagnosis, respectively. Initially, 61% of patients exhibited at least one of several pulmonary function abnormalities (lower limit of normal = -1.645), which decreased to 22% of patients by 390 days post-recovery. Considering day-to-day variability in lung function, 68% of patients showed improvement by the final visit, while 30% had unchanged lung function from the initial assessment. Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed ground-glass opacities in 33% of patients. One year after infection, diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide z-scores accounted for 30% of the variation in CT fibrosis scores. There was no significant correlation between the length of recovery and improvement in lung function based on z-scores. In conclusion, 22% of patients who recovered from severe COVID-19 continued to show at least one lung function abnormality 1 year after recovery, indicating a prolonged impact of COVID-19 on lung health.