Lung capacity issues, severe health problems in COVID-19 survivorsA Dutch study late last week found reduced lung capacity in 42% of COVID-19 patients 3 months after recovery, with many patients reporting severe problems with fatigue, functional impairment, and quality of life (QoL).Researchers reporting in Clinical Infectious Disease administered a comprehensive health assessment to 124 recovering COVID-19 patients who had either been admitted to a Netherlands hospital or were referred by physicians for symptoms lasting more than 6 weeks from Apr 23 to Jul 15.
Assessments included lung function, walking, and body composition tests, chest computed tomography (CT)/x-ray, and questionnaires on mental, cognitive, health status, and QoL.