TABLE 2.
Severity scores of acute coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and details of follow-up thoracic computed tomography (CT) and lung function tests in the post-COVID patients.
| Severity of acute COVID-19 pneumonia |
Severity = 0 (n = 24) |
Severity = 1 (n = 14) |
Severity = 2 (n = 11) |
| FEV1% predicted (Mean ± SD) |
94.2 ± 26.5 | 93.3 ± 18.7 | 93.3 ± 19.3 |
| FVC% predicted (Mean ± SD) |
94.7 ± 23.3 | 96.7 ± 23.8 | 89.3 ± 17.7 |
| DLCO% predicted (Mean ± SD) |
76.5 ± 14.4 | 80.0 ± 14.8 | 73.8 ± 21.0 |
| CT score No. of patients (%) 0 1 2 |
13 (54) 9 (38) 1 (4) |
5 (36) 5 (36) 3 (21) |
0 (0) 3 (27) 8 (73) |
| MRC dyspnea score Median, IQR |
2 [1, 2] | 2 [2, 2] | 2 [1.5, 3] |
Severity of acute coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia was classified according to requirement for respiratory support, where 0 indicates simple oxygen therapy, 1 indicated non-invasive respiratory support (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure or high-flow nasal oxygen therapy) and 2 indicates invasive mechanical ventilation. Lung function tests reported were performed at follow-up in the post-COVID clinic, around the same time that blood was obtained for this study. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and gas transfer factor i.e., diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were expressed as a percentage of the predicted value, using the equations provide by the Global Lung Initiative. The CT thorax abnormality score was based on a review of CT imaging performed around the same time that blood was obtained for this study, and images were classified according to residual abnormality where 0 indicates normal images, 1 indicates mild residual ground glass change, and 2 indicates ground glass changes with additional lung fibrosis. Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea Score is defined as: 1, not troubled by breathlessness except with strenuous exercise; 2, troubled by breathlessness when hurrying on the level or walking up a slight hill; 3, walks slower than most people of same age on the level because of breathlessness or has to stop for breath when walking at own pace on the level; 4, stops for breath after walking 100 yards or after a few minutes on the level; 5, too breathless to leave the house or breathless when dressing or undressing.