Emory AI COVID study finds serious lung damage in patients

An AI analysis found deformations on the lungs of patients with severe COVID-19, according to an Emory University-led study published June 10 .

Why it matters: Scientists are investigating long COVID's effect on the body. The study's lead researcher said in a press release that the AI analysis found damage with possible enduring consequences.

What they did: Emory University's AI.Health institute collaborated with researchers from North America, Europe, and Asia to analyze CT scans from 3,443 patients across multiple institutions.

• They created 3D AI models of the lungs of people without COVID-19, patients with mild COVID, and severe COVID-19 cases requiring ventilators.

What they found: Significant lung shape differences were observed along areas between the lungs across all severity levels of the disease.

• Differences were also seen on basal surfaces of the lung when compared between healthy, non-COVID and severe COVID-19 patients.

Threat level: Researchers suggest the deformations could impair lung function, affecting one's quality of life, and potentially increasing overall mortality.

• Experts have already found that COVID-19 can cause pneumonia, severe lung damage, and blood infections possibly resulting in lung scarring and chronic breathing issues. Some people fully recover. Others may suffer permanent damage.

What they're saying: Understanding how COVID-19 affects the lungs early on can help us understand and treat the disease, study author Amogh Hiremath said in a press release .

Caveat: The study has limitations, calling itself "retrospective in nature," for instance.

• The clinical practicality of the AI used needs to be validated by following patients until discharge, the study states.

What's next: Future studies exploring lung shape differences among COVID-19 patients as a biomarker in the context of long COVID, researchers say.

What we're watching: AI could revolutionize biotech . But collecting the data to bring it to scale will be one of its many challenges .

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