Post-Covid-19: Unpredictable lung damage detected through examination

Exit scene F0 but not worry yet

Ms. NTTT, who has been cured of Covid-19 for 2 weeks, went to Thu Cuc International General Hospital with symptoms of chest tightness, prolonged shortness of breath and occasional cough. After examining with a specialist, Ms. T. was assigned a computed tomography lung scan to diagnose lung damage. The imaging results showed that the lung parenchyma was damaged, pneumonia appeared and there were opaque glass lesions after infection with Sars-CoV-2 virus.

Lung image of patient T. damaged after infection with Sars-CoV-2 virus (Photo: Thu Cuc TCI)

Doctor Nguyen Quang Hanh – Head of Diagnostic Imaging Department of Thu Cuc General Hospital said: “In this case, the patient was diagnosed with pneumonia after being infected with Covid-19. Fortunately, when the patient showed symptoms, he went to the doctor early, so the lung damage was not too serious. The treating doctor will make a plan to restore the damaged lung parenchyma for the patient, avoiding pulmonary fibrosis in the future.”

Pulmonary fibrosis can reduce tracheal ventilation, making it difficult for patients to breathe and easily lead to respiratory failure. The longer the condition, the more pulmonary fibrosis, which greatly affects health and makes the treatment process difficult. But if detected early, the damage is less and easier to treat, the patient is easier to recover lung function.

Another case was a NTO who went to Thu Cuc TCI for examination with severe and prolonged cough. Ms. O has recovered from Covid-19 but her cough continues and shows no sign of abating. After examining with an internist, she was assigned to have blood tests and computed tomography of the lungs. The image on the MSCT lung scan of Ms. O showed that she had pulmonary fibrosis.

Lung image of patient O. damaged after infection with Sars-CoV-2 virus (Photo: Thu Cuc TCI)

Doctor Nguyen Quang Hanh shared, with suspected cases of lung damage after Covid-19 infection but the patient has symptoms of cough, it is necessary to perform a computed tomography lung scan to diagnose the lesion. Because if X-ray will not see or very difficult to evaluate accurately. Currently, Thu Cuc TCI is applying reduced dose computed tomography, which helps to minimize radiation for patients while ensuring clear and accurate imaging results.

With the above condition of Ms. O, the treating doctor will make a plan to gradually restore the damaged lung parenchyma, helping her to stabilize her health.

Many post-Covid-19 problems other than lung sequelae

In addition to lung problems, after recovering from Covid-19, many people also experience nervous system problems such as headaches, poor concentration, sleep disorders, typically insomnia (mainly caused by anxiety, stress, leading to lack of blood to the brain)…; or cardiovascular problems such as arrhythmia, increased blood clotting…

A representative of Thu Cuc General Hospital assessed: “Post-Covid-19 is currently a complicated issue. Up to now, more than 200 post-Covid-19 sequelae have been recorded. More research is needed to determine if this is a direct result of the virus or the patient’s immune system’s response to the virus. However, whatever the cause, the patient’s health is also impaired after being infected with Covid-19 and needs to be monitored and examined in a timely manner.

When to recover from Covid-19 when to see a doctor?

According to a representative of Thu Cuc General Hospital, people who have recovered from the disease should pay attention to their health, if they see symptoms such as: prolonged fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, memory impairment, sleep disturbances. …. if it doesn’t improve, you should go to the doctor soon.

In particular, when symptoms such as: red rash like measles, fever, difficulty breathing, prolonged cough, dizziness, nausea, etc., it is necessary to see a doctor immediately for examination and timely treatment. This is to avoid serious complications such as: pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke (cerebrovascular accident), myocarditis, pericarditis, myocardial interstitial fibrosis, blood clot formation blood clots causing coronary occlusion, acute myocardial infarction and heart failure…

Post-Covid-19 examiners are reassessed their health status by a doctor, early detection of injuries, if any, and prompt treatment

Besides, about 4-6 weeks after recovering from Covid-19, people without significant abnormalities should also be checked and screened for sequelae. For people with underlying diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous system…, after about 2 weeks of recovery, they should visit a doctor for health assessment, early detection of damage and timely treatment to increase chance of recovery.

Le Thanh