VirusesAug 28, 2025

Breathing Problems Linked to Lung Scarring After COVID-19

Long Covid Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 28, 2026

Abstract

Essence

This review describes post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis as a severe long-COVID complication and summarizes its mechanisms, diagnosis, and emerging treatments.

Evidence

It is a review of clinical and experimental studies on the epidemiology, manifestations, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies for post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis.

Caveat

The paper synthesizes emerging evidence, and the underlying mechanisms of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis remain poorly understood.

Simplified

A significant number of individuals recovering from COVID-19 continue to experience persistent symptoms, collectively referred to as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or long COVID. Among these complications, post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PC19-PF) is one of the most severe long-term outcomes, characterized by progressive lung scarring, chronic respiratory impairment, and reduced quality of life. Despite the increasing prevalence of PC19-PF, its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of PC19-PF, including its epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic strategies, and mechanistic insights. Additionally, we highlight the shared pathways between PC19-PF and other fibrotic lung diseases and discuss emerging therapeutic strategies. This review consolidates emerging insights from both clinical and experimental studies to advance our understanding of PC19-PF pathogenesis and guide the development of mechanism-based therapeutic approaches.