• Alessia Fumagalli, Clementina Misuraca, Achille Bianchi, Noemi Borsa, Simone Limonta, Sveva Maggiolini, Daniela Rita Bonardi, Andrea Corsonello, Mirko Di Rosa, Luca Soraci, Fabrizia Lattanzio, and Daniele Colombo.
• Respiratory Unit, IRCCS INRCA (Italian National Research Centre On Aging), 23880, Casatenovo, LC, Italy.
• Infection. 2021 Feb 1; 49 (1): 153-157.

PurposeThe aim of our study was to assess respiratory function at the time of clinical recovery and 6 weeks after discharge in patients surviving to COVID-19 pneumonia.MethodsOur case series consisted of 13 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.ResultsAt the time of clinical recovery, FEV1 (2.07 ± 0.72 L) and FVC (2.25 ± 0.86 L) were lower compared to lower limit of normality (LLN) values (2.56 ± 0.53 L, p = 0.004, and 3.31 ± 0.65 L, p < 0.001, respectively), while FEV1/FVC (0.94 ± 0.07) was higher compared to upper limit of normality (ULN) values (0.89 ± 0.01, p = 0.029). After 6 weeks pulmonary function improved but FVC was still lower than ULN (2.87 ± 0.81, p = 0.014).ConclusionThese findings suggest that COVID-19 pneumonia may result in clinically relevant alterations in pulmonary function tests, with a mainly restrictive pattern.

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