Short and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Previous Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. Till now, it affected 452.4 million (Spain, 11.18 million) persons all over the world with a total of 6.04 million of deaths (Spain, 100,992). It is observed that 75% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one COVID-19 associated comorbidity. It was shown that people with underlying chronic illnesses are more likely to get it and grow seriously ill. Individuals with COVID-19 who have a past medical history of cardiovascular disorder, cancer, obesity, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or neurological disease had the worst prognosis and are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia. COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system in a variety of ways and across a spectrum of levels of disease severity, depending on a person's immune system, age and comorbidities. Symptoms can range from mild, such as cough, shortness of breath and fever, to critical disease, including respiratory failure, shock and multi-organ system failure. So, COVID-19 infection can cause overall worsening of these previous respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, etc. This review aims to provide information on the impact of the COVID-19 disease on pre-existing lung comorbidities.

Keywords: Apnea obstructiva del sueño; Asma; Asthma; Bronchiectasis; Bronquiectasia; COVID-19; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cystic fibrosis; Cáncer de pulmón; Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Enfermedades pulmonares intersticiales; Enfermedades pulmonares vasculares; Fibrosis quística; Interstitial lung diseases; Lung cancer; Obstructive sleep apnea; Smoking; Tabaquismo; Vascular pulmonary diseases.

Fig. 1

Health-care system changes in relation to COVID-19 pandemic in cystic fibrosis patients.

Fig. 2

Mind map of the impact of COVID-19 on pulmonary vascular diseases. Connected by dashed lines, the evidences in relation to COVID-19 and pulmonary vascular diseases. Unconnected circles are thoughts of the COVID-19 pandemic. LMWH: low molecular weight heparin; PH/CTEPH: pulmonary hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.