Several people who have recovered from Covid complain about breathlessness even after many months, and this is not normal, and doctors say that it could be serious issues with the lungs. A new study has shown that patients who suffer from long Covid complain about such symptoms.
Long Covid Patients Suffer From Lung Abnormalities
It was found during the study that such patients often suffer from lung abnormalities that cannot be easily detected. The interesting thing is that these patients were not even hospitalized during Covid infection as they had only mild symptoms.
It is interesting to note that many patients suffer from long Covid even when they are otherwise healthy. This has surprised many experts, and it can affect anyone infected with Covid 19. There are many implications of suffering from such conditions as it affects various other organs.
The researchers used hyperpolarised xenon MRI scanning method to analyze the lung damage. The scanning is usually completed in a few minutes, during which patients need to breathe hyperpolarized xenon. The movement of xenon is observed in the scanning machine, and the doctors get to see how it moves into the bloodstream. There is no radiation exposure, and the procedure is very safe. It can also be repeated if needed in the future.
The complete impact of long Covid is not yet known, and researchers are still trying to understand how this virus keeps affecting the body in different ways. People who have suffered from such symptoms say that this can be frustrating as they always feel tired and sick without any particular reason.
As part of the research, the participants were divided into different groups of those who had been to hospitals due to Covid and those who were not hospitalized. All the participants had a normal CT scan at the time of the test.
Among patients who suffered from long Covid, the movement of xenon gas was not proper, and this gave rise to the doubt that lung function is affected due to long Covid. Experts say that this explains why breathlessness persists in some patients after getting infected with Covid 19. Such abnormalities could not be picked up by a regular CT scan, and many patients wondered why they were feeling tired all the time.
Surprisingly, some patients had never been admitted to the hospital during the Covid infection as they had only mild symptoms. Not only that, but they also did not suffer from other co-morbid conditions while they experienced breathlessness regularly. Sadly, some patients have suffered from such symptoms for more than a year after getting infected with Covid 19. This can be frustrating for any person, and it has happened to people who otherwise look healthy without any signs of illness.
Experts are now wondering what leads to abnormal CT scans and why these patients are suffering from breathlessness after so many months. Experts also want to know the long-term impact of Covid on the lungs and other organs of the body. They feel that understanding these aspects of the infection will help them to develop better treatment options for patients in the long run. Such information will also be useful for vaccine makers to develop robust vaccines.
The initial study was conducted on a small group of people, and the researchers now want to expand the study to a large group of participants. In this way, they can better understand the impact of long Covid on the lungs. It is estimated that millions of people experience breathlessness after a Covid infection. If the method provides insights into these issues shortly, it will open new doors for treating long Covid patients.
