Contrary to the knowledge that lung fibrosis is irreversible, real world data shows that fibrosis that is developing in Covid-19 patients in the recovery phase is reversible.  According to Dr Vivek Nangia, Director & Head, Pulmonology Department, Max Hospital, New Delhi, a unique kind of fibrosis that is developing in Covid patients, especially in the recovery phase, is found to be reversible.

“Once the lungs get scarring (injury in lungs) called fibrosis is found to be irreversible. However, in the case of Covid patients, we have seen in the last one and a half years that this is a unique kind of fibrosis that is developing in Covid patients in the recovery phase and found to be reversible,” Dr Nangia said while talking at a webinar organised on ‘COPD and Comorbidities’. 

“Initially, we thought that it might not reverse, but it reversed dramatically,” Dr Nangia added. 

Fibrosis is a kind of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and is a blanket term used for over 100 types of such diseases that could cause damage to the lungs.