A fatal lung disease that begins with dry cough, causes breathing difficulty, and worsens over years may have played a significant role in the deaths caused by Covid-19 infections, according to a scientist duo.
Much like cancer, the disease called interstitial lung disease (ILD), goes undetected for years.
As the disease progresses, the lung shrinks, making it difficult for the patient to breathe.
India has an incidence rate of 10 to 20 cases per 100,000 in the population related to industries and lung diseases.
“The interstitium is the connective tissue between two sacs or the region that links alveoli together in the lungs. When this interstitium thickens, it constricts the air sacs, reducing lung size. This constriction leads to a decrease in airway size, resulting in a significant reduction in the overall oxygen intake. This condition, known as restriction, involves compression due to the shrinking of connective tissue between the lung alveoli,” Dr Asmita Mehta, Professor and HoD of Respiratory Medicine at Amrita Hospital Kochi said.