Gradually Progressive Interstitial Pneumonia Following COVID-19 in an Older Patient: A Case Report.

Since its confirmation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, at the end of 2019, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide in multiple epidemic waves while undergoing mutations. To date, numerous individuals have been infected. Symptoms range from asymptomatic and common cold-like to acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can lead to death. Here, we present the case of an 81-year-old woman with a fever that persisted for more than five days after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). She underwent chest imaging that revealed complications of interstitial pneumonia presumed to be caused by COVID-19. Computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 pneumonia are often nonspecific. In this case, scattered frosted shadows were observed in both lung fields, and blood tests revealed elevated Krebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6) levels. Immediate therapeutic treatment is warranted when patients with multiple risk factors for COVID-19 present with interstitial pneumonia.