The way the coronavirus affects the lungs is just beginning to be known. It must be understood that we do not have complete data on the pandemic and that there are still many questions, which are just beginning to be elucidated. For this reason, the available information should be considered provisional.
However, there are indications that the coronavirus affects the lungs beyond what was initially believed. There is already a group of patients who have been discharged after suffering the disease. In the initial investigations, a decrease in lung capacity was found in some of them.
Damages appear to be seen in most cases, but these only have significant effects in a small percentage of patients. At the moment it is unknown if the way the coronavirus affects the lungs can have long-term consequences.
The coronavirus affects the lungs
That the coronavirus affects the lungs is a fact that is already sufficiently recognized. What is not known is to what extent, and also if there will be sequelae of this condition. For now, a group belonging to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority said it found significant damage in a small group of people recovered from the disease.
The information initially appeared in the South China Morning Post and notes that 12 patients with COVID-19 were thoroughly evaluated. Initial tests suggest that two or three of them showed a 20-30% decrease in their lung capacity.
Likewise, the doctors found that 85% of the group had frosted glass patterns in their lungs. This is a phenomenon whereby fluid builds up in the lungs and then crystallizes. It means that there is lung damage that, at least so far, has not disappeared after discharge after COVID-19 infection.
In summary, of the 12 people tested only three had normal lungs. The other nine had abnormalities, and in three of them these abnormalities had significant consequences on lung function.
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