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. 2024 Jan 5;27(2):83.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2024.12372. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Lung function at three months after hospitalization due to COVID‑19 pneumonia: Comparison of alpha, delta and omicron variant predominance periods

Vasiliki Epameinondas Georgakopoulou  1   2 , Sotiria Makrodimitri  1 , Aikaterini Gkoufa  1 , Eirini Apostolidi  2 , Sotirios Provatas  3 , Petros Papalexis  4   5 , Demetrios A Spandidos  6 , Ioannis G Lempesis  2 , Maria N Gamaletsou  2 , Nikolaos V Sipsas  1   2
Affiliations

Lung function at three months after hospitalization due to COVID‑19 pneumonia: Comparison of alpha, delta and omicron variant predominance periods

Vasiliki Epameinondas Georgakopoulou et al. Exp Ther Med. .

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has already affected millions of individuals, with increasing numbers of survivors. These data suggest that the pulmonary sequelae of the infection may have an effect on a wide range of individuals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate pulmonary function in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 three months after hospital discharge. A total of 116 patients, 34 females and 82 males, with a mean age of 57.77±11.45 years, who were hospitalized due to COVID-19, underwent pulmonary function testing three months after their hospital discharge. Of these, 83 (71.6%) patients were hospitalized in the period of alpha variant predominance, 16 (13.8%) in the period of delta variant predominance and 17 (14.6%) in the omicron variant predominance period. The mean value of diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO)% predicted (pred) was statistically higher in patients affected by the omicron variant (P=0.028). Abnormal values (<80% pred) of DLCO and total lung capacity (TLC) were observed in 28.4 and 20.7% of the patients, respectively. Active smoking was an independent predictor of abnormal values of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec % pred and TLC% pred [P=0.038; odds ratio (OR): 8.574, confidence interval (CI) 1.124-65.424 and P=0.004, OR: 14.733, CI 2.323-93.429, respectively], age was an independent predictor of abnormal values of forced vital capacity % pred and DLCO% pred (P=0.027, OR: 1.124, CI 1.014-1.246 and P=0.011, OR:1.054, CI 1.012-1.098, respectively); and female sex was an independent predictor of abnormal values of DLCO% pred (P=0.009, OR: 1.124, CI 1.014-1.246). Α significant percentage of hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 pneumonia will develop abnormal pulmonary function, regardless of the SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Keywords: diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide; long COVID-19; lung function; spirometry; total lung capacity.

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Conflict of interest statement

DAS is the Editor-in-Chief for the journal, but had no personal involvement in the reviewing process, or any influence in terms of adjudicating on the final decision, for this article. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the study scheme. Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). DLCO, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Statistically significant difference in the mean values of (A) DLCO% pred and (B) TLC% pred between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, with greater values observed among vaccinated patients (P=0.029 and P=0.034, respectively). DLCO, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide; TLC, total lung capacity.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Summary of main novel findings regarding the vaccination status, age, smoking, sex and variant and the PFTs in individuals 3 months post-hospitalization for COVID-19 pneumonia. Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). PFTs, pulmonary function tests; DLCO, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec FVC, forced vital capacity; TLC, total lung capacity; pred, predicted.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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