Lung doctors warn against jumping to conclusions about long-term damage from COVID-19

03.04.2020 15:43

In current media reports, scientists suggest that COVID-19 could cause permanent damage to the lungs. According to doctors at George Washington University Hospital, radiological findings show severe inflammatory changes in the lungs. Such tissue damage could cause permanent breathing difficulties, according to US doctors. The German Society for Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP) warns against making general statements about the course of the disease of COVID-19 at this time. According to the specialist society, no verifiable statements can currently be made about the possible long-term consequences of surviving COVID-19 pneumonia.

“SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus on which no reliable studies have yet been carried out. It is therefore not yet possible to predict whether the lungs will only be damaged temporarily or whether their functions will be irreversibly impaired,” says Professor Dr. med. Michael Pfeifer, DGP President. The DGP warns against drawing hasty conclusions: "Such statements can contribute to the uncertainty of the population - even though it is questionable overall how many COVID-19 patients will actually be affected by subsequent damage to the lungs."