Indian Covid survivors show higher long-term lung damage than Chinese and Europeans, study finds
A study by Christian Medical College, Vellore, reveals that a significant portion of Indian Covid survivors experience lingering symptoms and impaired lung function, with higher prevalence of severe damage compared to European and Chinese counterparts.
FollowA recent study conducted by Christian Medical College, Vellore, has unveiled that a significant portion of Indian Covid survivors experienced lingering symptoms and impaired lung function for several months. This research, considered the largest in the country to analyze the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on lung function, involved 207 participants and was conducted during the initial wave of the pandemic.
Published in the PLOS Global Public Health journal, the study revealed that Indians exhibited more severe lung damage compared to Europeans and Chinese counterparts.
Following over two months of recovery, individuals who had experienced mild, moderate, and severe Covid underwent comprehensive lung function tests, six-minute walk assessments, blood analyses, and evaluations of their quality of life. While some participants showed a gradual return to normal lung function over the span of a year, others may face lifelong consequences of lung damage.
The gas transfer test, known as DLCO, considered the most sensitive measure of lung function, revealed concerning results in 44% of participants, according to doctors from CMC. This test assesses the ability to transfer oxygen from inhaled air to the bloodstream.
Additionally, 35% of individuals exhibited a restrictive lung defect, impairing the lung's ability to expand with air during breathing, while 8.3% showed signs of obstructive lung defects, affecting the ease of airflow in and out of the lungs. Quality of life assessments further highlighted the negative impact of these findings.
In an interview with Times of India, the principal investigator of the study, Dr D J Christopher, professor, department of pulmonary medicine, CMC, Vellore, stated, "In all aspects, Indian patients fared worse."
Furthermore, Indian participants had a higher prevalence of comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension in comparison to their Chinese and European counterparts.
Dr. Salil Bendre, head of pulmonology at Nanavati Hospital, notes that a group of Covid patients who had moderate to severe infections, necessitating hospitalization around 8-10 days after symptom onset, along with oxygen support and steroid therapy, later developed lung fibrosis following their infection.
"About 95% of these patients gradually clear lung damage, leaving 4-5% with permanent impairment in the long run," he told TOI.
