COVID-19-damaged lungs can repair themselves in three months: study

Lungs ravaged by COVID-19 can repair themselves in three months, a new study says.

Nearly half of patients who had been hospitalized for the virus showed no evidence of lung damage at 12 weeks, according to preliminary findings presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

The study, which has not been published yet, looked at 86 patients hospitalized in the Tyrolean region of Austria between April 29 and June 9.

Researchers from the University Clinic in Innsbruck then followed up at six and 12 weeks after discharge for evaluation.

Following their first visit, 88% of patients showed evidence of lung damage, but this number dropped to 56% by their next check-up, the study said.

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