Various factors affect the lung damage risk in COVID-19 infections and how likely the patient is to regain lung function.

A viral image circulating on social media platforms, demonstrating the difference between a ‘normal lung’ and ‘COVID-19 lung’, is causing much distress and panic. On Instagram, the image has 1000+ likes, so far.

Prompted by a reader request, we fact-checked the claim. Reverse Image Search on Google showed that the image is of a 20-year-old girl’s lung. She had suffered from severe COVID in Chicago last year and underwent a dual lung transplant.

Does that mean that the image depicts an accurate picture of every COVID patient’s lungs? Dr Revanth, consultant pulmonologist, based in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, responds, “I have seen several cases during the second wave of the pandemic, wherein patients had severe lung damage. However, not every COVID patient is the same.”

There are various factors that affect the lung damage risk in COVID-19 infections and how likely the person is to recover and regain lung function. For instance, milder infections are less likely to cause lasting scars in the lung tissue. Moreover, even after a serious case of COVID-19, a patient’s lungs can recover, provided they avail of timely medical treatment.

Spreading panic is not the answer. Let facts prevail.