Sean Fain, Ph.D.

Chronic lung disease is recognized as a debilitating outcome of COVID-19. Patients who suffer from chronic symptoms post-COVID-19 are sometimes referred to as “long haulers” in which the chronic after-effects of infection impair quality of life. When the virus enters the body, it sets off an immune response that causes inflammation and injury of the blood vessels in severe cases. Locally injured blood vessels in the lungs can cause scarring known as interstitial lung disease (ILD) that remains after the initial phase of COVID-19 infection resolves. We will study injury of the blood vessels in COVID-19 using imaging and blood biomarkers that measure inflammation and repair. The biomarkers indicate active blood vessel injury and will be used to monitor functional lung decline and improvement before and after treatment in patients with post-COVID-19 lung disease.