Of the many who succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic worldwide, between 2020 to date, a section of Covid-19 survivors in India have reportedly developed long term lung impairment, a study found recently.
A genetical comparison between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 showed interstitial abnormalities in 4.6 per cent of patients— 15 years after they had contracted SARS-CoV-1, according to Dr D J Christopher, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore.
According to Dr Christopher who is also the lead author of the study, unlike the minimal percentage of lung infection in SARS-CoV-1 survivors, the same in those who contracted SARS-CoV-2 is severe. After conducting a series of tests on 207 Covid-19 or SARS-CoV-2 survivors from the first wave of the pandemic, the study found many of these were infected with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that is likely to result in fibrotic interstitial lung disease.
The US' National Institutes of Health defines interstitial lung disease as diffused parenchymal diseases which are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by scarring of the lungs. These are classified on the basis of histopathological, radiologic and clinical parameters.
