Residual pulmonary fibrosis and lung capacity in survivors of SARS-CoV-2

After the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) epidemic (2003/2003), many of the survivors developed residual pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Autopsies of these SARS patients showed the presence of pulmonary fibrosis at different stages of infection. Risk of PF was higher in older people, and was correlated with clinical severity and disease duration. On the other hand, lung biopsies showed dysregulation of the inflammatory response, the serum levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines being especially elevated. Furthermore, SARS-CoV infection induces an overactivation of the TGF-􀑛 pathway leading to pulmonary fibrosis.