Curr Health Sci J, vol. 47, no. 4, 2021

D. Bursac ⁽¹⁾, D. Petridis ⁽²⁾, B. Zaric ⁽¹⁾, T. Kovacevic ⁽¹⁾, V. Stojsic ⁽¹⁾, T. Sarcev ⁽¹⁾, H. Huang ⁽³⁾, C. Bai ⁽³⁾, W. Hohenforst-Schmidt ⁽⁴⁾, C. Kosmidis ⁽⁵⁾, K. Sapalidis ⁽⁵⁾, K. Romanidis ⁽⁶⁾, N. Courcoutsakis ⁽⁷⁾, A. Lallas ⁽⁸⁾, G. Tsakaldimis ⁽⁹⁾, K. Chatzimichael ⁽¹⁰⁾, C. Sardeli ⁽¹¹⁾, D. Matthaios ⁽¹²⁾, P. Zarogoulidis ^{(5, 13, 14)}, C. Karapantzou ⁽¹⁵⁾

⁽¹⁾Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia,
⁽²⁾Department of Food Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, School of Geotechnical Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽³⁾Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
⁽⁴⁾Department of Cardiology/Pulmonology/Intensive Care/Nephrology, Sana Clinic Group Franken, "Hof" Clinics, University of Erlangen, Hof, Germany,
⁽⁵⁾ 3rd Surgery Department-COVID-19 Infectious Disease, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Medical school of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽⁶⁾ 2nd Department of Surgery, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece,
⁽⁷⁾Radiology Department, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece,
^(8)
(1)st Department of Dermatology, Medical school of Health Sciences Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽⁹⁾Urology Department, “Saint Dimitrios” General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽¹⁰⁾Neonatology Department, “Hippokration” General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽¹¹⁾Department of Pharmacology&Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽¹²⁾Oncology Department, General Hospital of Rhodos, Greece,
⁽¹³⁾Pulmonary Department, “Bioclinic” Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece,
⁽¹⁴⁾Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital of Katerini, Greece,
⁽¹⁵⁾Ear, Nose and Throat
^(ENT) Department, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany

Abstract:

Background: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic initiated officially in October 2020. Since then several observations have been made regarding the disease and its symptoms. Patients and Methods: We included eighty seven in our observational study. Our main aim was to investigate their long term respiratory follow-up in correlation with their initial radiological and laboratory findings and values. The nose swab PCR test for COVID-19 was used for diagnosis. Patients were monitored at 3 and 6 months after their hospital reception whereas basic parameters of health condition (smoking, PO2, SPO2, WBC, CXR, CRP, intercurrent findings, days of nursing, colchicine administration) in joint with gender and age were recorded. Results: Males seem more susceptible to the viral disease than females in a ratio 1,8:1. The parameters FEV1 and FVC (as % relative changes) were not affected, apart from the DLCO to which CRP (in loge+1 transformation) and SPO2 showed a statistically significant effect. Conclusion: None of these patients were intubated, or admitted to the intensive care unit. The respiratory function is affected by the virus and the effect is reversed within the first three months. Males are more affected and the radiological and laboratory findings are associated with the respiratory functions.

Keywords: COVID-19, FEV1, FVC, DLCO, respiratory functions, respiratory infection.

Corresponding: Paul Zarogoulidis, 3rd Surgery Department-COVID-19 Infectious Disease, "AHEPA" University Hospital, Medical school of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, e-mail: pzarog@hotmail.com

DOI 10.12865/CHSJ.47.04.05 - Download PDF Long Term Respiratory Follow-Up for COVID-19 Patients a Multicenter Study PDF