According to a latest study published in the ‘Nature Journal of Scientific Reports’, higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, impaired diffusion capacity of lungs and persistent chest computerized tomography (CT)  findings after 3 months of hospital admission for COVID-19, were associated with high viral load, low antibody levels, and high levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 during admission.

This study was a multicentric, randomized, open-labelled clinical trial which collected data from 108 hospitalized COVID-19 patients along with a 3-month follow-up, to evaluate associations between clinical characteristics during hospital admission and respiratory outcomes after 3 months of hospitalization.

The key results were as follows:

• High antibody levels at baseline showed a positive effect on pulmonary function.
• Low levels of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 seemed to predict reduced diffusion capacity of lungs at 3 months.
• High plasma levels of MMP-9, both during hospital stay and 3 months after hospitalisation, were associated with signs of both reversible and irreversible changes on chest CT.

In conclusion, the results of the study suggested that baseline clinical characteristics of COVID-19 at the time of hospital admission can predict pulmonary outcomes in later stages following hospitalization for COVID-19.