“We were looking for further modalities to look at their lung function that were not found through traditional clinical testing,” said Nicholson. “The findings allowed us to show that there was a physiological impact on their lungs that correlated with their symptoms.”
Study participant Alex Kopacz described his experience with COVID-19 as “harrowing.” He was admitted to LHSC’s University Hospital with the virus in 2021. A young, fit Canadian bobsledder and Olympic gold medalist, he never imagined that he would still be struggling to breathe months after infection.
“I was on oxygen for almost two months after COVID, and it took me almost three months to get to a place where I could go for a walk without gasping for air,” said Kopacz. “The take-home message for me is that we have to remember that this virus can have very serious long-term consequences, which are not trivial. In my case, prior to getting sick, I didn’t think it would really affect me.”
A one-year follow-up is now underway to better understand these results longitudinally. The study was done in collaboration with researchers at LHSC, St. Joseph’s, Lakehead University, McMaster University, Toronto Metropolitan University and Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
The research was published in Radiology.
Source: University of Western Ontario
Source: Healthcare in Europe
