Effect of COVID-19 on lung function in young adults

Diffusing capacity in lung function has been widely reported in patients who experienced severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019, which contributes to some of the severe symptoms associated with COVID-19. .. In addition, the majority of COVID-19 inpatients suffer from restrictive pulmonary dysfunction.

study: Pulmonary function around COVID-19 in young adults: a population-based study.. Image Credit: KZenon / Shutterstock.com

Background

Scientists have difficulty assessing the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on lung function by measuring lung activity as a result of large variations in lung function that exist between individuals. Has stated.

Several studies have shown that people with higher than average lung function showed a significant reduction after COVID-19. Importantly, these studies report that lung abnormalities that occurred during severe COVID-19 improved after removal of the virus.

Recently, many studies have been postedCOVID symptoms, Regardless of the severity of the illness. However, there is little evidence of the degree of lung dysfunction in young adults who are not severely infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Patients with non-severe asthma are not at risk of being infected or hospitalized for severe COVID-19, but whether existing asthma affects changes in lung function associated with mild or moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is important to judge.

About research

New Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global The study assesses whether SARS-CoV-2 infection adversely affects lung function in young adults who experience mild to moderate COVID-19. In this study, researchers further analyzed whether existing conditions such as asthma and allergic sensitization, or the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), affected respiratory function in the study cohort.

In this study, candidates for the population-based cohorts Burn, Allergi, Milho, Stockholm, and Epidemiology (BAMSE) were evaluated before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (2016-2019) and post-onset (2020-2021). I did. Researchers obtained serum-positive data based on serum levels of SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM, and / or IgA.

Mean changes in lung function were recorded as a percentage of the predicted (pp) pre- and post-onset COVID-19 pandemic. The serological data obtained before and after the onset of the pandemic were compared. Changes in lung function in seropositive candidates were also analyzed according to allergic sensitization and self-reported use of ICS.

Survey results

The authors did not observe evidence of COVID-19-related pulmonary dysfunction in young adults with or without asthma. In addition, no association between allergic sensitization or ICS use and changes in lung function was observed in COVID-19 seropositive patients.

A small number of participants in asthma carrying IgM antibodies showed a potential for worsening vital capacity measurements compared to the asthma seronegative group. This may be due to an exacerbation of asthma that is close to infection.

Previous studies have shown that viral respiratory infections are a common trigger for exacerbation of asthma. These studies also revealed that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 did not suffer any damage to their lung function.

A few adults with COVID-19 experienced exacerbation of asthma. However, allergic sensitization did not affect lung function in the seropositive group. The use of ICS also did not affect the results of COVID-19 in the study cohort.

Advantages and limitations

An important strength of the current study is the availability and utilization of lung function measurements recorded before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This data has the potential to detect subtle changes in lung function in individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and compare the results with individuals with negative serologic responses. In the study cohort, the majority of participants had mild illness. This reflects the symptoms of the disease in infants infected with SARS-CoV-2.

One of the key limitations of this study is the lack of information on the participants’ total vital capacity. Previous studies related to normal vital capacity measurements suggested that restrictive lung dysfunction was unlikely, but the current study lacks data and the authors are strong about restrictive lung dysfunction. I couldn’t come to a good conclusion.

Another limitation of this study is the inclusion of seropositive as a marker for previous COVID-19, as individuals with low or no antibody response were not considered. Individuals infected early in the pandemic are more likely to have reduced antibody levels. The authors also showed that some participants could be misclassified in the previous COVID-19. This indicates the possibility of biased results.

Conclusion

Current studies show that young adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 do not suffer from spirometry-based pulmonary dysfunction. In addition, no evidence was found to suggest that asthma participants suffered from long-term pulmonary dysfunction. In addition, current studies have shown that allergic sensitization or recent use of ICS did not significantly affect lung function in seropositive participants.