Scientists of Sheffield and Oxford University in the UK revealed persistent damage to the lungs in patients with COVID-19 three months after recovery. These violations cannot be detected using conventional computer tomographs and other diagnostic methods, so people usually reported that their lungs are normal. Experts presented their conclusions in the article published in the Radiology magazine.
In the course of the study, scientists took advantage of the new visualization method called magnetic resonance imaging with hyperpolarized xenon (XEMRT). Stable xenon isotope is inhaled by the patient, which enhances the signal hundreds of thousand times and gives images with a record detailed. XEMRT revealed anomalies in the lungs in some patients who were overwhelmed COVID-19, through three and even nine months after discharge from the hospital, although other clinical indicators were normal.
This explains why some people who have suffered a coronavirus infection continue to experience breathing problems, although they do not detect tissue damage in the lower respiratory tracts. Anomalies that are not visible in conventional scanning prevent the blood saturation with oxygen in all parts of the lungs. However, it is not yet known how long it will takes such people for full recovery.