Acute disease severity is associated with increased pulmonary perfusion transit times at follow-up in male patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Motivation: Perfusion disturbances can be observed up to a year after acute COVID-19 infection. Goal(s): Evaluate the relationship between pulmonary perfusion and sex, age and disease severity in patients hospitalised due to COVID-19. Approach: 198 patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 were recruited from 13 centres as part of the C-MORE study. 3T dynamic contrast enhanced lung perfusion imaging was acquired at follow-up. Results: Men previously hospitalised with severe COVID-19 showed increased pulmonary mean transit time (MTT) and more heterogenous pulmonary MTT at follow up compared to men with less severe disease. Disease severity was not associated with increased MTT at follow up in women. Impact: Dynamic contrast enhanced lung perfusion imaging can identify prolonged pulmonary transit times in patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 and demonstrates that at patient follow-up pulmonary perfusion depends on patient sex, age and, in male patients, acute disease severity.