ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: More than a year has passed since the initial outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, which caused many hospitalizations worldwide due to COVID-19 pneumonia and its complications. However, there is still a lack of information detailing short- and long-term outcomes of previously hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study is to analyze the most frequent lung CT findings in recovered COVID-19 patients at mid-term follow-ups. METHODS: A total of 407 consecutive COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the XXXX and discharged between February 27, 2020, and June 26, 2020 were recruited into this study. Out of these patients, a subset of 108 patients who presented with residual asthenia and dyspnea at discharge, altered spirometric data, positive lung ultrasound and positive chest X-ray was subsequently selected, and was scheduled to undergo a mid-term chest computer tomography study, which was evaluated for specific lung alterations and morphological patterns. RESULTS: The most frequently observed lung CT alterations, in order of frequency, were ground glass opacities (81%), linear opacities (74%), bronchiolectases (64,81%), and reticular opacities (63,88%). The most common morphological pattern was the nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern (63,88%). Features consistent with pulmonary fibrosis were observed in 32 patients (29,62%). CONCLUSIONS: Our work showed that recovered COVID-19 patients that were hospitalized and that exhibited residual symptoms after discharge had a slow radiological recovery with persistent residual lung alterations. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This slow recovery process should be kept in mind when determining the follow-up phases in order to improve the long-term management of patients affected by COVID-19.