Pulmonary function 3-6 months after acute COVID-19: A systematic review and multicentre cohort study.

Aims: To describe pulmonary function 3-6 months following acute COVID-19, to evaluate potential predictors of decreased pulmonary function and to review literature for the effect of COVID-19 on pulmonary function.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review and cohort study were conducted. Within the P4O2 COVID-19 cohort, 95 patients aged 40-65 years were recruited from outpatient post-COVID-19 clinics in five Dutch hospitals between May 2021-September 2022. At 3-6 months post COVID-19, medical records data and biological samples were collected and questionnaires were administered. In addition, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including spirometry and transfer factor, were performed. To identify factors associated with PFTs, linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusted for covariates.

Results: In PFTs (n = 90), mean ± SD % of predicted was 89.7 ± 18.2 for forced vital capacity (FVC) and 79.8 ± 20.0 for transfer factor for carbon monoxide (DLCO). FVC was
Conclusion: A low DLCO 3-6 months following acute COVID-19 was observed more often than a low FVC, both in the P4O2 COVID-19 study and the literature review.