Pulmonary evaluation of post-COVID-19 patients: an Ecuadorian experience

Background: Despite the growing concerns related to the potential of long-term pulmonary sequelae due to COVID-19, data about intermediate and long-term changes in the respiratory function of patients who recover is relatively sparse, particularly in developing countries. Objectives: To assess the characteristics and pulmonary function at follow-up in a sample of Ecuadorian patients that recovered from the virus. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 43 patients after symptomatic COVID infection, who were evaluated by spirometry, single breath DLCO, and 6MWT. For statistical analysis we performed point biserial correlations, and chi squared tests. Results: Overall, 30.3% of patients (n=13) reported persistent symptoms, with fatigue being the most common (23.3%, n=10). Around 34.9% (n=15) of the sample had a restrictive spirometry pattern, 18.6% (n=8) had an abnormally decreased adjusted DLCO. A restrictive spirometry pattern was associated with an abnormally low adjusted DLCO (χ2(2) = 11979, p = 0.001). Conclusion: We found that a considerable proportion of patients presented with persistent symptoms and alterations in pulmonary function following COVID-19, mainly a restrictive respiratory pattern and abnormally low DLCO. Further studies are needed to determine which patients may benefit from the follow-up with specific pulmonary function tests.