Five-year Quantitative Chest CT and Hyperpolarized Xenon 129 Ventilation MRI Findings in Survivors of COVID-19 Pneumonia

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term pulmonary abnormalities in survivors of COVID-19 pneumonia five years post-infection, using various imaging and pulmonary function tests. The findings revealed that 35.6% of survivors had persistent lung lesions and 25.5% exhibited abnormal diffusing capacity, while no significant changes in respiratory symptoms or pulmonary function were observed over the five-year period. Notably, survivors of severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed greater ventilation defects compared to healthy controls, highlighting the lasting impact of the disease on lung health.