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The latest Spanish research on the phenomenon of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in patients infected with coronavirus shows that it usually occurs in people treated in intensive care units. What’s more, the disease continues to progress even one month after having COVID-19.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis even 6-8 weeks after having COVID-19
These findings were presented by a medical team at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC), Spain. As reported by the participant Orlando Acosta, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is found even 6-8 weeks after suffering from the disease infected with SARS-CoV-2. He added that it usually concerns people with COVID-19 in serious condition, treated in intensive care units.
“While most patients leave intensive care units without lung lesions, there are also a group of people who develop pulmonary fibrosis,” he added.
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In a study conducted in collaboration with the Spanish Society of Lung and Chest Diseases (SEPAR), the Canary Islands medical team confirmed that in some patients after COVID-19, “the adverse changes in the lungs are permanent.”
The authors of the study indicated that due to the appearance of inflammation in the lungs, people with COVID-19 suffer from damage to the alveoli which, instead of heal, begin to become fibrotic. Eventually, the alveoli in the lungs become less flexible and stop working properly, leading to difficulty breathing.
In March and April, several medical teams from various centers around the world reported that early fibrotic changes in the lungs were observed in the study of people infected with SARS-CoV-2.
What is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is classified as an idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, which is more common in men, mainly older men. Its course is severe and is characterized by shortness of breath and a cough.
Patients with this disease, the genesis of which has not yet been elucidated, may also experience a feeling of weakness, weight loss, as well as shallow and rapid breathing.
Author: zat/ zan/
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