Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause severe interstitial pneumonia and acute respiratory failure with the need of non-invasive ventilation or intubation. Particular attention should be done to patients discharged with the diagnosis of COVID-19 acute respiratory failure. Medical and instrumental follow-up should be planned at discharge because of possible chronic sequelae due to persistent pulmonary damage, including pulmonary fibrosis and the development of pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale), particularly in young patients. In addition, prothrombotic state must be always considered in these patients both during hospitalization and after being released. We describe the case of a 54-year-old man who was admitted to our Emergency Department with persistent dyspnoea on exertion after being discharged for severe COVID-19 pneumonia from another COVID-19 hospital with a single negative nasopharyngeal swab for 2019-nCOV.