COVID-19 Lung Damage
Most of the science surrounding COVID-19 is still emerging, with much of what is known about the virus changing rapidly. One factor of COVID-19 that the team at Lung Center of Nevada, part of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, is closely monitoring is damage caused to the lungs during infection after recovery.
“Most of the time patients come in with a chronic cough, what’s called a post-infectious cough,” said George Tu, MD, FCCP, DABSM, a pulmonologist at Lung Center of Nevada in an interview with Channel 13 KTNV Las Vegas. “That’s the most common symptom we see.”
The scientific understanding of COVID-19 is very much a fluid situation, but one part of the virus’s effect of the virus that’s becoming more and more firm is the damage that it does to the lungs. The Lung Center of Nevada is watching these developments and are looking to build treatment protocols to help those who have recovered from the virus with their lung function.
Science is clear that the lungs are most often the first and primary organs in the body affected by COVID-19. When a person first becomes infected, the coronavirus rapidly invades cells in the lungs and attacks the epithelial cells lining the airway. These are the cells that normally catch and clear out pollen and viruses and can flood airways with debris and fluids.
Some of the earliest COVID-19 studies have revealed that patients experiencing severe disease develop pneumonia in both lungs. This is accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath. In these cases, lung damage continues to build and can lead to respiratory failure. For those who survive COVID-19, the residual effects of the disease are often focused in the lungs, with severity normally depending on preexisting conditions.
“I’ve been through SARS, I’ve been through H1N1,” said Dr. Tu. “[COVID-19] is certainly broader in terms of severity and unpredictability.”
Early Studies Showing Serious Post-Recovery Lung Damage
Among patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in China comes the first evidence that some may suffer long-term lung damage from the disease. In 70 patients who survived COVID-19 pneumonia, 66 had some level of lung damage visible in CT scans taken before hospital discharge.
Of additional concern is that COVID-19 appears to affect both lungs, whereas similar virus, such as SARS and MERS, were likely to only affect one lung. In 75 of the 90 patients admitted to Huazhong University Hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia from January 16 to February 17, damage was seen across both lungs. CT scans taken before hospital discharge revealed that 42 out of 70 patients displayed the type of lesions around the alveoli that are more likely to develop into scars.
Some lung damage seen in the study cases are likely to gradually heal or disappear. However, in some patients, lung abnormalities will harden into layers of scar tissue known as pulmonary fibrosis. That scarring stiffens the lungs, making it hard to get enough oxygen. People with pulmonary fibrosis typically suffer shortness of breath, limiting their ability to be physically active.
With these study results in mind, it’s a good time to be more mindful of your lungs, and to be aware of treatments options, such as those offered by Lung Center of Nevada, that can help those recovering from COVID-19.
Lung Center of Nevada provides treatment for various pulmonary diseases including asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, chronic cough and nicotine dependence. They also offer evaluation, diagnosis and referrals for treatment options to patients with lung and bronchus cancer.
Comprehensive also offers Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to screen people at high risk for lung cancer, the only recommended screening test for the disease. LDCT is used to find nodules in the lungs and takes many pictures of the inside of your body from different angles using x-rays. The amount of radiation used is much lower than standard doses of a CT scan without contrast dye. For the practice’s effective lung cancer screening protocols, Comprehensive has been designated as an ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology.
Lung Center of Nevada Can Help
Should you need assistance with your lungs, or for any other reason, schedule an appointment with the team at the Lung Center of Nevada by calling the Sunset office at 702-737-5864 or the Tenaya office at 702-869-0855.
The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
