A significant number of individuals hospitalized for severe COVID-19 pneumonia experienced persistent symptoms and clinical abnormalities long after the acute phase of infection, according to results from the Long-Term Outcomes Post-Acute COVID-19 (LOPAC) study (Emerg Infect Dis 2025;31[6]:1158-1168).
The study followed 173 adults across 12 months, all of whom had participated in previous COVID-19 clinical trials. Of these, 134 (77.5%) completed the full year of follow-up.
At 12 months, 44.5% of study participants reported fatigue, 34.7% experienced shortness of breath and 29.5% had lingering cough. High-resolution CT scans identified residual lung abnormalities in 32.4% of participants, and 15% had impaired lung capacity. Cognitive impairment was also common, reported by 30.1% of study participants.
Of note, even those who had not required mechanical ventilation showed prolonged lung and neurologic effects.
Risk factors for long-term complications were identified as age, obesity, disease severity during acute infection and preexisting hypertension. Older age was associated with persistent lung abnormalities and cognitive decline, hypertension was linked to more frequent respiratory symptoms and fatigue, and obesity was correlated with ongoing cognitive issues.
“Our findings underscore the extended health effects of COVID-19 beyond its acute phase and reinforce the importance of regular monitoring of patients with severe COVID-19, particularly in older patients and those with underlying health conditions,” the study authors wrote.
The study was supported by Roche.
