Final outcomes or sequel in severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia presenting as resolving residual lung abnormalities with lung function abnormalities in spirometry: a Pulmonologists and radiologist perspective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is over after multiple waves and acquiring hybrid immunity after natural infection and global large-scale vaccination after three years. The residual effects of COVID-19 illness are called as long COVID. These long COVID manifestations are documented in pulmonary and extrapulmonary systems with variable impacts on quality of life. In the present case report, a 48-year male, presented in the outdoor unit for shortness of breath on exertion with a history of severe COVID-19 Pneumonia resulted in acute respiratory distress syndrome with hospitalization in the intensive care unit during the second wave required high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) with Noninvasive ventilatory support (NIV) and recovered after institutional protocol for the management of COVID-19 illness guided by National Taskforce of India. He presented with shortness of breath on exertion and his follow-up high-resolution computed tomography thorax documented at one and half years of discharge from the hospital revealed nonspecific interstitial opacities labeled as ‘Residual lung abnormalities’ (RLAs) which are linear radiological lines in peripheral, pleural based opacities with preserved lung architecture and normal lung volume. We recommend these radiological outcome phenotypes as resolving radiological abnormalities at one year should be considered as sequel according to the pulmonologist perspective and not fibrosis according to radiologist perspective because the former one is best suitable as a predictor of good outcome.