SCAR. Late pulmonary complications after coronavirus infection

As in previous epidemics associated with other types of coronaviruses, the current COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by the predominant involvement of the respiratory system, with clinical presentations ranging from mild symptoms of runny nose and fever to the development of respiratory distress syndrome. From a radiological point of view, the disease is characterized by the presence of ground glass areas, bilaterally distributed. Over the days after the development of the disease, areas of pulmonary consolidation begin to appear, more commonly associated with more severe clinical conditions. However, little is known about the late onset associated with COVID-19, regardless of the initial severity of the condition. It is established that patients who develop respiratory distress syndrome from other causes may present functional and anatomical sequelae that impact the quality of life of these patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pulmonary response to coronavirus 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after infection, according to the severity of the condition at presentation. To this end, the proposal is to perform dual-energy chest tomography, complete pulmonary function test, cardiopulmonary exercise test at each time and correlate the findings with clinical data and initial radiological presentation.