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Review
. 2020 Jun 19;9(6):1917.
doi: 10.3390/jcm9061917.

COVID-19: The Potential Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Kacper Lechowicz  1 , Sylwester Drożdżal  2 , Filip Machaj  3 , Jakub Rosik  3 , Bartosz Szostak  3 , Małgorzata Zegan-Barańska  1 , Jowita Biernawska  4 , Wojciech Dabrowski  5 , Iwona Rotter  6 , Katarzyna Kotfis  1
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19: The Potential Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Kacper Lechowicz et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, appeared, causing a wide range of symptoms, mainly respiratory infection. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic, therefore the efforts of scientists around the world are focused on finding the right treatment and vaccine for the novel disease. COVID-19 has spread rapidly over several months, affecting patients across all age groups and geographic areas. The disease has a diverse course; patients may range from asymptomatic to those with respiratory failure, complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). One possible complication of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 is pulmonary fibrosis, which leads to chronic breathing difficulties, long-term disability and affects patients' quality of life. There are no specific mechanisms that lead to this phenomenon in COVID-19, but some information arises from previous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) epidemics. The aim of this narrative review is to present the possible causes and pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis associated with COVID-19 based on the mechanisms of the immune response, to suggest possible ways of prevention and treatment.

Keywords: ARDS; COVID-19; SARI; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; pathophysiology; pneumonia; pulmonary fibrosis; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antiviral treatment in COVID-19.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Suggested treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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