COVID-19 follow-up planning: what will we be missing?. Issue 2 (26th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Lydia; Iyer, Sriram; Jose, Ricardo J.; Manuel, Ari
• Is Part Of: ERJ open research. Volume 6:Issue 2(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-05-26
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; Respiration; Respiratory organs -- Diseases; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Treatment; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Electronic journals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodical; 616.2005
• DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00198-2020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2312-0541

Abstract

Admissions to UK hospitals with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are exponentially increasing, yet the healthcare community has not put much thought into follow-up of these patients who, in many cases, will be discharged early from hospital to ensure ongoing bed availability. There is currently no UK publication or guideline suggesting a criterion for safe discharge or follow-up advice for those testing positive for COVID-19. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and viral pneumonia share symptoms and certain radiological findings with COVID-19. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that those with confirmed SARS were to self-isolate for 7 days post-discharge, and to have a chest radiograph and full blood count at day 7 [1], while the British Thoracic Society guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) only recommend a chest radiograph at 6 weeks if the patient is still symptomatic or has a risk factor for lung cancer [2]. This therefore raises the question, what should be the optimal follow-up duration and imaging modality for hospital survivors of COVID-19? If no follow-up is deemed necessary, what could we be missing? There is a real need for a discharge plan for COVID-19 survivors in the UK. Follow-up imaging could help assess the resolution of infection, exclude underlying malignancy and identify post-inflammatory fibrosis. https://bit.ly/2YJ8hyg