PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Guler, Sabina A.
AU  - Ebner, Lukas
AU  - Beigelman, Catherine
AU  - Bridevaux, Pierre-Olivier
AU  - Brutsche, Martin
AU  - Clarenbach, Christian
AU  - Garzoni, Christian
AU  - Geiser, Thomas K.
AU  - Lenoir, Alexandra
AU  - Mancinetti, Marco
AU  - Naccini, Bruno
AU  - Ott, Sebastian R.
AU  - Piquilloud, Lise
AU  - Prella, Maura
AU  - Que, Yok-Ai
AU  - Soccal, Paula M.
AU  - von Garnier, Christophe
AU  - Funke-Chambour, Manuela
TI  - Pulmonary function and radiological features four months after COVID-19: first results from the national prospective observational Swiss COVID-19 lung study
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.03690-2020
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 2003690
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/12/17/13993003.03690-2020.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/12/17/13993003.03690-2020.full
AB  - Background The coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing global health care challenge. Up to one third of hospitalised patients develop severe pulmonary complications and ARDS. Pulmonary outcomes following COVID-19 are unknown.Methods The Swiss COVID-19 lung study is a multicentre prospective cohort investigating pulmonary sequela of COVID-19. We report on initial follow-up 4 months after mild/moderate or severe/critical COVID-19 according to the WHO severity classification.Results 113 COVID-19 survivors were included (mild/moderate 47, severe/critical 66). We confirmed several comorbidities as risk factors for severe/critical disease. Severe/critical disease was associated with impaired pulmonary function, i.e. diffusing capacity (DLCO) %-predicted, reduced 6-MWD, and exercise-induced oxygen desaturation. After adjustment for potential confounding by age, sex, and BMI, patients after severe/critical COVID-19 had a 20.9 (95% CI 12.4–29.4, p=0.01) lower DLCO %-predicted at follow up. DLCO %-predicted was the strongest independent factor associated with previous severe/critical disease when age, sex, BMI, 6MWD, and minimal SpO2 at exercise, were included in the multivariable model (adjusted odds ratio [OR] per 10%-predicted 0.59 [95% CI 0. 37–0.87], p=0.01). Mosaic hypoattenuation on chest computed tomography at follow-up was significantly associated with previous severe/critical COVID-19 including adjustment for age and sex (adjusted OR 11.7 [95%CI 1.7–239), p=0.03).Conclusions Four months after SARS CoV-2 infection, severe/critical COVID-19 was associated with significant functional and radiological abnormalities, potentially due to small airway and lung parenchymal disease. A systematic follow-up for survivors needs to be evaluated to optimise care for patients recovering from COVID-19.COVID-19 pulmonary sequelae are unknown. The Swiss COVID-19 lung study reports on initial follow-up findings. Severe or critical COVID-19 was associated with significant functional impairment and radiological abnormalities after 4 months.