Lung damage in people reinfected with Covid-19

Ms. Le Thanh Thuy (Cau Giay, Hanoi), in just 3 months has contracted Covid-19 twice. The first time at the end of January, Ms. Thuy had Covid-19 but had no symptoms, after 5 days, it was negative. In March, Ms. Thuy again tested positive for Covid-19, this time she was more tired, coughed a lot, and was short of breath.

“Even though I was negative after 3 days, I was more tired, short of breath, had a persistent cough for more than 2 weeks. Going to the doctor and taking a lung scan, the doctor said that I had severe pneumonia and damaged lungs,” Ms. Thuy said.

Also experiencing a re-infection with Covid-19 after being negative for 15 days, Pham Duy Tuan (Hanoi) went to a post-Covid-19 doctor to check his health status. Mr. Tuan had a straight chest x-ray and a CT scan for post-Covid-19 fibrosis with heterogeneous opacities in the lungs.

According to Mr. Tuan, in the second time he contracted Covid-19, he had quite a few symptoms, basically lighter than the first time. However, due to a persistent cough, he decided to go for a chest x-ray.

According to Dr. La Quy Huong, Department of Respiratory Internal Medicine, Hanoi Tam Anh General Hospital, currently there are no specific statistics on the rate of pulmonary fibrosis after the first Covid-19 infection as well as re-infection. Some patients are at high risk for pulmonary fibrosis after Covid-19 including those with severe pneumonia during the acute Covid-19 illness, especially those with advanced acute respiratory failure (ARDS); need artificial ventilation, need ECMO treatment, prolonged hospital stay; Patients with pre-existing lung damage, elderly, smokers…

Manifestations of pulmonary fibrosis may include a persistent cough, shortness of breath on exertion or even at rest, and on examination may reveal crackles in the lungs. On computed tomography of the chest, pulmonary fibrosis is present with many degrees such as thickening of the interlobular septum, reticular images, traction bronchiectasis and most typically honeycomb images. Impaired respiratory function is often a restrictive ventilation disorder, reduced gas exchange capacity.

Dr. Huong recommends that everyone is at risk of being re-infected with Covid-19, even being re-infected many times if they do not follow the principles of disease prevention. UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that the rate of reinfection has increased 15 times since Omicron appeared. To date, reinfection accounts for around 10% of all F0 in the UK. According to scientists, the phenomenon of reinfection is increasing because the nCoV is constantly changing and the new strain can evade the pre-existing immunity in the patient’s body as well as the gradually decreasing immunity in the body. , is no longer enough to prevent the virus.

The results of some studies show that re-infections are milder than those of the first infection. Reinfected people have mild symptoms despite infection with any strain, even if antibodies are not strong enough to protect against a second infection. Patients reduce the risk of severe disease and death, especially in those who are infected. vaccinated against Covid-19.

Huong added that some people with Covid-19 are worse than the last time, maybe because the body’s immunity is weak, or because the re-infections are too close together. Besides, the background disease of each patient is also the cause, for example, the elderly group, the use of immunosuppressive drugs, hypertension, diabetes.

Re-infection with Covid-19 may not cause severe symptoms, but the risk of prolonged or post-Covid-19 illness remains the same with the rate ranging from 6-15%, the more times the risk of post-Covid-19- 19 the higher. Post-Covid-19 symptoms are often very diverse such as insomnia, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue…

Although the results of some observations suggest that a re-infection with Covid-19 is often milder than the first, the incidence of pneumonia and other lesions is also lower with re-infection. However, reinfection with Covid-19 can still cause severe cases of pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, even ARDS, leading to death, especially in those who do not receive the vaccine or are not fully vaccinated. reduced immunity.

The risk of re-infection with Covid-19 is higher in people over 65 years old, immunocompromised people, people using immunosuppressive drugs, people with many underlying medical conditions, especially hypertension, diabetes. diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis … “, said Doctor Huong.

Mr. Chi