Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by a highly transmissible and pathogenic virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recovery is gradual and it is estimated that most COVID-19 patients take an average of 2–6 weeks to recover “post-acute COVID-19 syndrome,” which is defined as persistent signs and symptoms that emerge during or after SARS-CoV-2 infection, with all other possible diagnoses excluded .Studies from other viral infections with pulmonary involvement suggest that functional and radiologic impairments persist beyond hospital discharge. Aim of this study: To add to the current growing evidence regarding long term post covid respiratory complications helping to improve pulmonary rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients after discharge. Patients & methods: This observational follow up study included 216 patients who presented to COVID-19 isolation department of Suez Canal University hospitals and pulmonology outpatient clinic with primary diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia and requiring admission to COVID-19 isolation. Results: Our study included 216 patients who met our inclusion criteria were 131 (60.65%) males and 85 (39.35%) females in this study, We have found that our recruited patients have a mean age of 50.61 with male predominance. Regarding persistent radiological pulmonary infiltrates, CT scan 3 months after discharge showed that 16.2% of patients were found to have severe pulmonary fibrotic changes on CT while 43.1% of patients didn't show any fibrotic changes 3 months after discharge. Regarding persistent radiological pulmonary infiltrates, CT scan 3 months after discharge showed that 16.2% of patients were found to have severe pulmonary fibrotic changes on CT while 43.1% of patients didn't show any fibrotic changes 3 months after discharge. Conclusion: patients who survived COVID-19 pneumonia are at high risk for developing residual pulmonary infiltrates and regular follow up is essential especially in patients with more severe disease and evidence of more intense inflammatory state. Early administration of IL-6 inhibitors and prolonged post discharge steroid therapy were found were significantly associated with reduced risk of persistent pulmonary fibrotic changes.

corticosteroids, pulmonary , ct chest