Quote Originally Posted by Wheeze View Post
What we are seeing is unexpected rates of poor resolution of lung changes on imaging. In diseases like influenza any chest x ray changes during the active phase generally resolve. But covid often seems to leave behind changes that are much slower to resolve. This raises the spectre of pulmonary fibrosis, a permanent of sometimes progressive deterioration in lung function...like miners or dust workers lung disease.
I know that some cases of Covid with no actual symptoms have had changes in their lungs on CT. Even with "ordinary" pneumonia it can take ages for even CXR appearances to return to normal, much less CT appearances.

I would be surprised if people end up with progressive fibrosis, but clearly some people's acute lung damage is fatal, and others, some quite young, have needed lung transplants.

There is clearly a lot we do not yet know about the longterm effects of Covid.