Clinical, radiological outcomes and pulmonary function tests in patients recovered from COVID-19 in a three-month follow-up

Abstract

Introduction: Long-term pulmonary consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are unknown. Objectives: The aim of this study was the clinical and radiologic consequences and pulmonary function test in the cured COVID-19 patients in a three-month follow-up. Patients and Methods: Patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay were recruited in this prospective descriptive epidemiological study. Computerized tomography (CT) scan and blood oxygen measurement were performed before and three months after discharge for all the patients. Spirometry test and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) were conducted to determine the levels of dyspnea and persistent respiratory symptoms. Results: Eighty patients were recruited in this study. At the 3-month follow-up, oxygen saturation was higher than the time of discharge from the hospital. Chest CT scan showed abnormal results in 66.3% of patients. The pulmonary function test results indicated that only 27 (35.75%) of patients had abnormal test. The median distance in the 6MWT was 325 meters (interquartile range, 96-480 m). Conclusion: Follow-up of COVID-19 patients revealed radiological abnormalities in most cured COVID-19 patients, indicating the need for more extended follow-up periods for investigating the long-term consequences of COVID-19.