Role of Antifibrotic Therapy in Pulmonary Fibrosis Due to COVID-19
Author(s): Guddi Laishram* and Aniruddha Vaidya
Abstract
Background: It has been more than year of beginning of COVID-19 outbreak, the most serious complication of COVID
infection is excessive increase in inflammatory mediators also known as cytokine storm which leads to formation of
pneumonia in some patients. After resolution of pneumonia some amount of fibrosis develops which leads to decrease in
quality of life and increased mortality. Nevertheless, in elderly patients a small % of fibrosis can be fatal. Therefore, as
corona virus has affected several millions of people even though pulmonary fibrosis being a rare complication can cause
huge no. of cases of pulmonary fibrosis, Several randomized control trials has been carried out till now for treatment of
fibrosis, Perfenidone and nintedanib are approved as a treatment modality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, it has been also
useful in non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrotic diseases like interstitial idiopathic fibrosis studies are going out for effectiveness
in post COVID pulmonary fibrosis.
Several other modalities are also being tested, drugs which help in decreasing the severity of cytokine storm such as
steroids. Viral load can be decreased by using antiviral agents. Certain novel drugs are also being researched upon, so in this
review article considering the impact of fibrosis on the covid population, cause of pulmonary fibrosis, prevention and
treatment modalities has been discussed.