Residual Scars that Grow: The Hidden Threat of Delayed Pulmonary Fibrosis after COVID-19

three year longitudinal study showed 36% of survivors still exhibited structural lung abnormalities on CT, many experiencing persistent symptoms and functional impairment. 5I believe it's time for clinicians, radiologists, and public health authorities to adopt structured follow-up -including repeat imaging and pulmonary function tests at 3-6 months for highrisk individuals -to detect fibrosis early and mitigate its long-term impact.It is time we shift from reactive care to proactive surveillance -before these scars grow too deep to ignore.